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Six Nittany Lions Invited To NFL Scouting Combine

Former Penn State football stars Pat Freiermuth, Will Fries, Michal Menet, Jayson Oweh, Micah Parsons, and Shaka Toney were all selected to participate in this year’s NFL Scouting Combine.

Despite finishing 4-5 this past season, the Nittany Lions now boast some of the best NFL prospects in the country. Tuesday evening, the team officially congratulated the six invitees selected to attend the NFL Combine this year.

Even after sitting out the entire 2020 season, linebacker Micah Parsons is a heavy favorite to be chosen inside the top 10, and potentially even inside the top five, in this year’s draft due to his out-of-this-world athleticism and ridiculous college stats.

Parsons dominated in 2019, racking up 8.4 tackles per game, which was good for fifth in the Big Ten. He earned a consensus All-American nod by the NCAA after that season and was poised to have a massive junior season until the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

On the other hand, Jayson Oweh and Shaka Toney made the most of the COVID-19-impacted 2020 season. Both members of Penn State’s formidable defensive end duo were named first-team All-Big Ten, the first time this feat was accomplished since Courtney Brown and Brad Scioli did it in 1998. Toney also racked up 20.5 sacks in his career, good for eighth all-time at Penn State.

On the offensive side of the ball, redshirt seniors Will Fries and Michal Menet were stalwarts in the trenches for the Nittany Lions. Both players were awarded by the Big Ten coaches at the end of the 2020 campaign, as Fries earned second-team honors at offensive tackle and Menet received a third-team selection at the center.

Penn State’s sixth invitee this year is none other than “Baby Gronk” himself. In addition to Parsons and Oweh, Pat Freiermuth’s NFL potential could lead to three Nittany Lions being selected in the first round of the draft. Freiermuth set the Penn State career record for receiving touchdowns by a tight end, and although he was injured halfway through the season, scouts still see potential as one of the biggest red zone threats in the class.

This year, the combine will not happen normally in person. To comply with health guidelines, any combine workouts will take place at pro days on individual college campuses. Penn State’s pro day, and therefore its players’ version of the scouting combine, will happen on March 25.

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About the Author

Matt Rudisill

Matt is a junior majoring in broadcast journalism from a little town called Parkesburg in Chester County, PA. More often than not, you can catch him yelling about the Phillies and the Steelers on his Twitter (@mrudy26). Matt is also an elite wiffleball pitcher and is not afraid to back up that claim. Direct all wiffleball challenge invitations, or other legitimate requests, to [email protected].

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