Penn State Football: Seven Nittany Lions Invited to NFL Combine

Penn State football will once again have the opportunity to turn heads at the NFL Combine this spring as seven Nittany Lions were invited to the annual event in the early stages of the 2023 NFL Draft process.

Of the 319 total players invited to the event, Penn State will be represented by receivers Mitchell Tinsley and Parker Washington, defensive tackle PJ Mustipher, safety Ji’Ayir Brown, tight end Brenton Strange, interior offensive lineman Juice Scruggs and corner Joey Porter Jr.

Five of those seven players took part in Penn State’s 2023 Rose Bowl appearance. Receiver Parker Washington missed the game due to injury while Porter opted to sit out of the postseason appearance in favor of draft preparation. Porter was at the game in street clothes.

Of note, quarterback Sean Clifford was not invited to the combine as 15 other collegiate quarterbacks were selected for the event. Veteran long snapper Chris Stoll — who in December won the 2022 Patrick Mannelly Award as the nation’s best long snapper — also was not invited to the event. UCF’s Alex Ward was the only long snapper invited to NFL Combine.

The combine is set to begin March 3 in Indianapolis. Penn State’s Pro Day, which will likely feature a healthy dose of both Clifford and Stoll, will be held at a later day following the combine. Pro Days are traditionally times during which players can improve their combine numbers ,or in the case of Clifford, Stoll and others, workout and perform in front of NFL GMs, coaches and scouts.