Penn State Football Center Nick Dawkins Declares For NFL Draft
Penn State football center Nick Dawkins has declared for the 2026 NFL Draft, he announced on Sunday. He did not play in the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl.
The team captain has started every game of the last two seasons at center for Penn State and has appeared in 54 games overall. Dawkins could have declared for the NFL Draft following the 2024 season, but chose to return to the program for one more year.
The Allentown, Pennsylvania, native allowed just two sacks in 2024 and won the Allstate Wuerffel Trophy for his exemplary community service and on and off-field leadership.
Dawkins served as one of the Nittany Lions’ most vocal leaders after a disastrous 3-3 start in 2025 that resulted in James Franklin’s firing. He opened up about his personal and team-wide guilt following the move, but reinforced the locker room with positivity to lead Penn State on a three-game win streak to end the season.
Dawkins is the fifth Nittany Lion to declare for the draft, joining Zakee Wheatley, Vega Ioane, Zane Durant, and Drew Shelton.
Your ad blocker is on.
Please choose an option below.
Purchase a Subscription!
About the Author
Your Guide To Voting In The 2026 Pennsylvania Primary Elections
All the information you need to vote in State College for the Pennsylvania 2026 primary.
Penn State Softball’s Allison Oneacre Named To Softball America’s Freshman All-America Team
Oneacre adds to a historic freshman season.
Penn State Baseball’s Michael Anderson Named To First Team All-Big Ten
Anderson’s 20 homers set a Penn State single-season record.
Three-Star Running Back Chukwuma Odoh Commits To Penn State Football
Odoh scored nine rushing touchdowns in 2025-26.