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Ten Penn Staters Participate In 2024 NFL Scouting Combine

Ten former Penn State football stars traveled to Indianapolis, Indiana, to take part in the NFL’s 2024 Scouting Combine over the weekend.

Johnny Dixon, Olu Fashanu, Daequan Hardy, Adisa Isaac, Curtis Jacobs, Theo Johnson, Kalen King, Hunter Nourzad, Chop Robinson, and Caedan Wallace made the trip to Lucas Oil Stadium to show off their skills and meet with the higher-ups from all 32 NFL teams.

Here’s a look at how each Nittany Lion performed at this weekend’s combine.

Chop Robinson

Heading into the combine, Chop Robinson was one of the biggest question marks for NFL teams, as they felt he had the skills on tape to be a first-round pick, and perhaps his size was a cause for concern. However, after the combine, Robinson showed he has what it takes to excel at the next level.

Robinson ran a 4.48-second 40-yard dash, which ranked second among all edge rushers and put him in the 99.6 percentile overall. His 10-yard split clocked in at 1.54 seconds, which is one of the fastest for a player over 250 pounds.

The edge rusher also recorded a 34.5″ vertical jump and a 10′ 8″ broad jump. At 6’3″ and 254 pounds, Robinson may be undersized, but his talent shined which will likely lead him to hear his name called on the first night of the NFL Draft in April.

Adisa Isaac

Edge rusher Adisa Isaac also performed well during his workouts this weekend.

Isaac clocked in a 4.74-second 40-yard dash, recorded a 10′3″ broad jump, and like his teammate Robinson, put up a 34.5″ vertical jump. The reigning first-team All-Big Ten edge rusher is still projected to fall somewhere into the late second or early third round, but a good showing at Penn State’s Pro Day later this month could help his case.

Curtis Jacobs

Linebacker Curtis Jacobs fared well during his weekend in Indianapolis. The Maryland native ran a 4.58-second 40-yard dash, which was the seventh fastest amongst all linebackers. His vertical jump registered at 35″, while his broad jump of 10’4″ was tied for third-best from a linebacker.

Daequan Hardy

While he may be undersized and underweight, Daequan Hardy made his presence known during his workouts.

On top of excelling during on-field catching drills, Hardy aced the 40-yard dash, running an impressive 4.38. Also, he showed off bunnies on the vertical jump, tallying a 42.5″ jump which was tied for the best jump of the entire combine. His size will scare teams from drafting Hardy, but the skills are there for the 5′9″ defensive back.

Kalen King

While one defensive back showed out at the combine, another struggled to turn heads. Cornerback Kalen King had a poor showing during his drills this weekend.

King recorded the fifth slowest 40-yard dash time out of all of the defensive backs, running a 4.61. He also finished with a 10’4″ broad jump and 37″ vertical jump. Throughout the season, his draft stock fell, and after a poor showing in Indianapolis, the once-projected first-round pick may wait a while to hear his name called in April.

Johnny Dixon

Defensive back Johnny Dixon unfortunately did not participate in any of the on-field drills due to an injury suffered at the Senior Bowl. The Florida native still interviewed with teams during the weekend, however, his injury will also prevent him from participating in Penn State’s Pro Day later this month. That likely won’t allow him to work out in front of coaches before the draft in April.

Theo Johnson

If there was an overall winner from the entire combine this weekend, tight end Theo Johnson would be its leading candidate.

The tight end had an outstanding performance, finishing either first or second in all of the major categories for tight ends. Johnson ran a 4.57-second 40-yard dash, recorded a 39.5″ vertical jump, a 10’5″ broad jump, and ran the fastest shuttle run at 4.19 seconds.

Additionally, during the on-field catching drill, Johnson got to catch a couple of passes from former Penn State quarterback Trace McSorley.

Johnson performed so well that he finished with a RAS (Relative Athletic Score) of 9.99, a near-perfect outing. This ranked him as the second-best performer at the combine by a tight end since 1987.

Olu Fashanu

While the workout started well for Olu Fashanu, things unfortunately took a wrong turn. Fashanu reportedly suffered a right thigh injury during one of the drills, forcing him to end his workout early.

Despite cutting his day short, Fashanu still was able to record most of the major drills. The offensive lineman ran a 5.11-second 40-yard dash, which at 312 pounds, is on the best runs in the history of the combine at that weight. He also recorded a 32″ vertical and 9’1″ broad jump. Fashanu reported he still plans to participate in Penn State’s upcoming Pro Day.

Caedan Wallace

Offensive lineman Caedan Wallace had a great showing during his combine weekend.

While the offensive tackle’s 40-yard time of 5.15 was stellar, he excelled in the vertical and broad jump recording 31″ and 9’8″, respectively. His footwork also impressed during the on-field work, too.

Hunter Nourzad

Offensive lineman Hunter Nourzad did not record statistics for any of the workouts. Nourzad did measure his height and weight and other measurements and met with multiple teams, however, he did not take part in any of the events.

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About the Author

Matt Brown

Matt is a senior majoring in broadcast journalism and minoring in sports studies from Bensalem, Pa. Matt is a huge Philadelphia sports fan and an overall sports fan in general. When not watching sports, you'll find him taking down any Dollar Dog challenge or rewatching the Big Ten Maps Commercial. To reach him, follow him on Twitter and Instagram: @matt_brown63, or email him at [email protected].

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