After six years with the Nittany Lions, two-time team captain Nick Dawkins has his eyes set on the 2026 NFL Draft.

Dawkins started his Penn State career as a three-star recruit and the No. 7 player in Pennsylvania in the 2020 class, per the 247 composite rankings. The eventual Nittany Lions starting center chose to play in-state with Penn State over schools like Indiana and Boston College.

Dawkins didn’t see much playing time until his redshirt junior season, when he appeared in every one of the team’s 13 games on offense and special teams. The following year, the Allentown, Pennsylvania, native became the Nittany Lions’ starting center and was voted team captain. He found immediate success, making All-Big Ten honorable mention honors by the media that season.

Dawkins would stay at Penn State for his redshirt senior season in 2025, being named team captain for the second time. He started all 12 regular-season games for the Nittany Lions.

During his career at Penn State, Dawkins was named an All-Big Ten honorable mention twice, earned Academic All-Big Ten honors five times, and was the recipient of the 2024 Allstate Wuerffel Trophy. Dawkins left a legacy at Penn State for being an exceptional and vocal leader both on and off the field.

With his attention pointed at the NFL, Dawkins has seen interest from teams at the next level. Having met with numerous teams, such as the New York Giants, Baltimore Ravens, and Philadelphia Eagles, for local visits.

Dawkins offers prototypical size for the center position, standing at 6’4″ and weighing 304 pounds. He also showed great athleticism at Penn State’s pro day, jumping 32″ on the vertical and 9’4″ on the broad jump. Both numbers would’ve been above average at the 2026 NFL Combine.

While Dawkins is unlikely to be drafted, ranked the No. 693-ranked player on the consensus big board, his experience and character should make him a priority free agent after the draft.

The 2026 NFL Draft kicks off in just a few weeks in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It will run from April 23 to April 25, with all seven rounds broadcast on ESPN.