UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Eight Penn State football players – S Jaquan Brisker, CB Tariq Castro-Fields, WR Jahan Dotson, DE Arnold Ebiketie, DE Jesse Luketa, LB Brandon Smith, P Jordan Stout and OL Rasheed Walker – each earned official invitations to the 2022 NFL Combine. The Nittany Lions have had 34 NFL Combine participants in the last five years with eight athletes in 2018, seven in 2019, five in 2020 and six in 2021.
Penn State's eight participants rank fourth among all schools. A total of 324 prospects are invited to attend this year's combine, which will take place in Indianapolis from March 1 through March 7.
S Jaquan Brisker
- Played in 34 career games at Penn State, making 21 starts.
- Recorded 153 tackles (86 solo), 9.5 tackles for loss, 5 interceptions, 14 pass breakups and a fumble recovery.
- Became the third Penn State defensive back since 2000 to record at least 5.5 tackles for loss in a season.
- Earned first-team All-America honors from CBS Sports/247Sports, On3 and Pro Football Focus.
CB Tariq Castro-Fields
- Played in 52 career games, making 30 starts at cornerback.
- Recorded 138 tackles (93 solo), 10 tackles for loss, three interceptions, 25 pass breakups and a forced fumble.
- Named All-Big Ten honorable mention by the coaches and media.
- Accepted an invitation to the Reese's Senior Bowl.
WR Jahan Dotson
- Earned third-team All-America honors from the AP and Phil Steele.
- Named a 2021 Biletnikoff Award and Walter Camp Player of the Year semifinalist.
- Ranks third all-time at Penn State in career receiving touchdowns (23), fourth in receiving yards (2,620) and fourth in receptions (175).
- Owns 10 career 100-yard receiving games, tied for second all-time at Penn State.
- Ranks sixth all-time at Penn State with a 14.6 punt return average
DE Arnold Ebiketie
- Was a second-team All-American selection by the FWAA, The Athletic and Phil Steele.
- A final watch lister for the Ted Hendricks Award, joined the Nittany Lions after a four-year stint at Temple (2017-20).
- 14.5 of Ebiketie's Big Ten-leading 17.0 tackles for loss and 8.5 of his 9.5 sacks (3rd in the Big Ten) came against Big Ten opponents (nine games).
- Was second among Power Five defensive linemen in tackles for loss and tackles and tied for seventh in sacks.
DE Jesse Luketa
- Made the switch from linebacker to defensive end in the offseason.
- Appeared in 47 career games at Penn State, making 18 starts.
- An All-Big Ten third team honoree, was third on the team in tackles for loss.
LB Brandon Smith
- Named third-team All-Big Ten by the coaches and honorable mention by the media.
- Was a Butkus Award semifinalist.
- Selected Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week following the Auburn game (9/18).
- Made 12 starts in 2021.
P Jordan Stout
- Was a Ray Guy Award finalist.
- Among the three Ray Guy Award finalists, according to Pro Football Focus, was the highest graded punter (93.1).
- Was the second specialist in Big Ten history to earn Special Teams Player of the Week in a season four times.
- Penn State was second in the nation in net punting in 2021.
OL Rasheed Walker
- Named third-team All-Big Ten by the media and honorable mention by the coaches.
- Named to the Lombardi Award and Outland Trophy Watch Lists
- Made 10 starts at left tackle.
- Voted a team captain.