Who Is Gennings Dunker? What to Know About the Iowa OL Who Went Viral at the NFL Combine

The former Hawkeye went viral on Sunday afternoon for his epic NFL combine performance.

Gennings Dunker went viral for his NFL combine performance on Sunday. | Cody Scanlan/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Gennings Dunker took the football world by storm on Sunday afternoon by working out in front of 32 NFL teams from Indianapolis’s Lucas Oil Stadium with what Rich Eisen deemed “the greatest mullet in the history of the combine” flowing from his head.

But he’s so much more than that.

The 22-year-old Lena, Ill. native measured in at 6' 5", 319 pounds this week (a frame built for Sundays), was a first-team All-Big Ten electee this past season, and is a consensus second-round pick in the upcoming NFL draft.

Oh yeah—and the most on-brand fact of them all? He won back-to-back hay toss competitions during his time in Iowa City.

Here’s everything else you need to know about former Hawkeyes offensive lineman Gennings Dunker.

Who is Gennings Dunker?

Gennings Dunker played five seasons at Iowa. | Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Dunker attended Lena-Winslow High School in Lena, Ill. and played three seasons for the Panthers, missing his senior campaign due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He earned all-state honors as a junior while also being named all-conference on both offense and defense, and over three seasons helped lead Lena-Winslow to a 39–2 record and two state titles.

Upon committing to the University of Iowa, Dunker redshirted as a freshman due to an injury before eventually becoming a mainstay along the Hawkeyes’ offensive line. From 2023 through ’25, Dunker started 38 games at right tackle while helping Iowa tally a 27–13 record during that span. Additionally, this past campaign, he was named first-team All-Big Ten while serving as a cornerstone of an offensive line that won the Joe Moore Award—given annually to the top offensive line in college football.

He’s since declared for the NFL draft, and put his talents on full display this past week at the combine.

How did Dunker perform at the 2026 NFL combine?

Dunker put on a show at the NFL combine this week. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Not only was Dunker’s flowing hair the talk of the combine on Sunday afternoon, but he backed it up with a solid on-field showing as well. Here’s a look at the numbers he put up in the drills he participated in, along with where they ranked among offensive linemen:

Gennings Dunker NFL combine stats

Drill	Result	Rank Among OL
40-yard dash	5.18 seconds	29th
10-yard split	1.83 seconds	31st
20-yard shuttle	4.63 seconds	3rd
Vertical jump	32 1/2”	T-6th
Broad jump	9' 0"	T-21st

Not too bad.

Where is Dunker projected to be selected in the 2026 NFL draft?

Dunker participated in the Senior Bowl this past January. | Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images

According to NFL Network’s Lance Zierlein, Dunker has a “pro-ready” frame, heavy hands, and enough upper-body power to move opponents—so long as he plays with more consistent hand placement. Despite this, however, Zierlein adds that Dunker's limited athleticism may force him inside from tackle to guard at the next level.

Dunker is a projected second-round pick in the upcoming draft, per NFL Mock Draft Database, with some experts placing him as high as the mid-first round.

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