PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Penn State offensive lineman Drew Shelton (112th overall, Dallas Cowboys), defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton (120th overall, Green Bay Packers), safety Zakee Wheatley (5th round, Carolina Panthers), running back Nicholas Singleton (165th overall, Tennessee Titans), defensive tackle Zane Durant (181st overall, Buffalo Bills) and running back Kaytron Allen (187th overall, Washington Commanders) were selected on day three of the 2026 NFL Draft on Saturday.
The Nittany Lions had eight selections in the NFL Draft, including offensive lineman Olaivavega Ioane (14th overall, Baltimore Ravens) and quarterback Drew Allar (76th overall, Pittsburgh Steelers).
Penn State had eight NFL Draft selections for the 14th time in program history and first time since 2024. The Nittany Lions tallied at least six selections for the fifth time in the last six years.
Since 2018, Penn State has had 58 selections, its most in an eight-year span since 1987-95 (58). Since 2016, Penn State has had 28 players taken in the first two days of the draft and 67 selections overall.
With Ioane and Allar, Penn State had at least two selections through the first two days of the NFL Draft for the ninth-straight year.
Wheatley was the 400th NFL Draft selection in program history. The Nittany Lions have had a defensive back selected in each of the last five drafts, trailing only Alabama (11), Cal (7) and Georgia (6) among FBS teams. Wheatley is Penn State’s 16th defensive back selected since 2016, the third-most in the FBS behind Alabama (19) and Ohio State (17).
The selections of Singleton and Allen marked the eighth time in program history with two running backs selected in the same draft. The last time Penn State had two running backs taken in the same draft was 1996 (Stephen Pitts, 6th round, San Francisco; Mike Archie, 7th round, Houston). Penn State joined Notre Dame among schools with multiple running backs selected in the 2026 NFL Draft.
With the selections of Dennis-Sutton and Durant, Penn State had multiple defensive linemen selected in the NFL Draft for the 10th time in program history and sixth time since 2016.
Dennis-Sutton’s selection marked the third-straight draft with a Penn State defensive end picked. PSU has had a defensive end selected in seven of the last eight drafts. Penn State’s streak of three-straight drafts with a defensive end selected trails only Michigan (8). Dennis-Sutton is Penn State’s 10th defensive end selected since 2016, tied for second among FBS schools with Michigan (10) behind only Ohio State (11).
With the selections of Ioane and Shelton, Penn State had multiple offensive linemen selected for the 23rd time in program history and third time since 2021.
A total of 403 Nittany Lions have been selected all-time in the NFL Draft, which ranks seventh among Division I institutions.
With Ioane’s first round selection and Allar’s third round selection, Penn State is one of three schools that has had a player selected among the first three rounds of the NFL Draft in 21-straight years, joining LSU and USC.
Penn State is also one of three schools to produce at least five picks in each of the last nine NFL Drafts (2018-26), joining Alabama and Georgia. The Nittany Lions had five or more picks in a draft for the 39th time in program history.
Shelton is Penn State’s 36th OT selected in the NFL Draft and 10th OL selected since 2016.
Shelton is the 12th Nittany Lion to be selected by the Cowboys all-time and the first since DE Micah Parsons (1st round, 2021).
He joins Miles Sanders on the Cowboys roster.
Drew Shelton · OL · 6-5 · 313 · Downingtown, Pa. · Downingtown West
- Voted All-Big Ten honorable mention by the media on two occasions (2024 and 2025) and once by the coaches (2024).
- Started in 34 games throughout career, appearing in 48.
- According to PFF, allowed one sack in 354 pass-blocking snaps in 2025.
- Helped Penn State set a new program-record with 718 total yards on offense and 40 first downs against Kent State in 2024.
- Assisted the offense in 23 400-plus-yard outings throughout career in addition to 22 with 200-plus rushing yards and 28 with 200-plus passing yards.
- Helped Kaytron Allen to rank seventh in the country in rushing yards per game (108.6), 12th in total rushing yards (1,303), 13th in rushing touchdowns (15) and 16th in yards per carry (6.2) in 2025.
- Paved the way for Allen to post a rushing touchdown in 11 games.
- Helped Nicholas Singleton to score 13 times on the ground.
- Blocked for PSU quarterbacks to complete 66.7% of their passes for 2,441 yards and 16 touchdowns.
Dennis-Sutton is Penn State’s 26th DE selected in the NFL Draft and Penn State’s 10th DE selected since 2016.
Dennis-Sutton is the 16th Nittany Lion to be selected by the Packers all-time and the first since CB Kalen King (7th round, 2024).
He joins Micah Parsons on the Packers roster.
Dani Dennis-Sutton · DE · 6-6 · 261 · Millsboro, Del. · McDonogh School (Md.)
- Tabbed third-team All-Big Ten by the coaches and media in 2023 and 2025.
- Earned Academic All-Big Ten honors three times.
- Played in 55 games and started in 30 games at Penn State.
- Collected 127 tackles, 34.5 tackles for loss, 23.5 sacks, seven forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and two interceptions as a Nittany Lion.
- Tied for fifth at Penn State with seven forced fumbles.
- Ranks sixth at PSU with 23.5 sacks.
- Recorded 10 career games with multiple tackles for loss and five games with multiple sacks.
- As a senior, started all 13 games.
- Made 42 tackles (26 solo), 12 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks while adding three forced fumbles, three pass breakups and three blocked punts.
- Had 2.5 tackles for loss, one sack and two forced fumbles against Nevada (8/30).
- Recorded two tackles for loss against FIU (9/6).
- Notched a tackle for loss and a blocked punt at UCLA (10/4).
- Blocked a punt against Northwestern (10/11).
- Forced a fumble at Ohio State (11/1).
- Posted a sack against Indiana (11/8).
- Had two sacks and a blocked at Michigan State (11/15).
- Contributed a sack against Nebraska (11/22).
- Tallied two sacks in the Pinstripe Bowl against Clemson (12/27).
Wheatley is Penn State’s 44th DB selected in the NFL Draft and PSU’s 16th DB since 2016.
Wheatley is the sixth Nittany Lion to be selected by the Panthers all-time and the first since LB Brandon Smith (4th round, 2022).
He joins Dan Chisena, Nick Scott and Rasheed Walker on the Panthers roster.
Zakee Wheatley · S · 6-3 · 202 · Crofton, Md. · Archbishop Spalding
- Voted All-Big Ten honorable mention two times by the media (2024 and 2025) and once by the coaches (2025).
- Finished collegiate career with 223 total tackles, including 145 on his own, five tackles for loss and one sack.
- Had a hand in 11 career takeaways (six interceptions, three fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles).
- Owns six career games with 10-plus tackles.
- Made 74 stops (51 solo) and two tackles for loss in 2025, while adding one interception and one fumble recovery.
- Secured three tackles and a fumble recovery against Nevada (8/30).
- Tallied 10 tackles (5 solo) against Oregon (9/27).
- Posted 12 tackles (9 solo) and a tackle for loss at UCLA (10/4).
- Led team with nine tackles against Northwestern (10/11).
- Had three tackles and a tackle for loss at Michigan State (11/15).
- In the 2025 Orange Bowl, collected 16 tackles which is tied for third-most ever recorded by a Penn State player in a bowl/CFP game with Kurt Allerman in the 1976 Gator Bowl.
Singleton is Penn State’s 36th RB selected in the NFL Draft
Singleton is the 16th Nittany Lion to be selected by the Titans all-time and the first since S Kevin Winston Jr. (3rd round, 2025).
He joins Winston on the Titans roster.
Nicholas Singleton · RB · 6-0 · 219 · Shillington, Pa. · Governor Mifflin
- Voted All-Big Ten honorable mention as a running back (media) and return specialist (coaches, media) in 2025.
- Earned All-Big Ten honorable mention honors in 2024 as a running back and a return specialist.
- Picked up third-team All-Big Ten honors from the coaches and media as a running back and honorable mention honors from the coaches and media as a return specialist in 2023.
- Was the Big Ten Thompson-Randle El Freshman of the Year and AP Big Ten Newcomer of the Year in 2022. Also earned FWAA Freshman All-America laurels.
- Finished Penn State career holding records for rushing touchdowns (45), total touchdowns (55) and all-purpose yards (5,586), while sitting fifth in rushing yards (3,461), eighth in rushing attempts (622) and 13th in yards per carry (5.6).
- Tied 10th in Big Ten history in rushing touchdowns, seventh in total touchdowns and 12th in all-purpose yards.
- Recorded eight career 100-yard rushing games, 13 career games with multiple rushing touchdowns and two games with three rushing touchdowns.
- Had 24 career 20+ yard runs, 16 30+ yards, 14 40+ yards, seven 50+ yards, two 60+ yards, two 70+ yards and one 80+ yards.
- Singleton (3,461) and Kaytron Allen (4,180) became the first Penn State teammates to reach 3,000 career rushing yards at the same time.
- In 2025, led current FBS players in career rushing touchdowns, career total touchdowns, career all-purpose yards, while sitting third in career rushing yards.
- Became first Big Ten player with 5,000+ career all-purpose yards and 50+ touchdowns since Wisconsin’s Jonathan Taylor (2017-19) and joined Saquon Barkley as the only Nittany Lions to do so.
- Rushed for 549 yards and 13 touchdowns and caught 24 passes for 219 yards and a touchdown in 2025.
- Rushed for two touchdowns against Villanova (9/13).
- Collected 143 all-purpose yards and three touchdowns against Indiana (11/8) and had a season-long 59-yard run.
- Scored twice on the ground against Nebraska (11/22) and Rutgers (11/29).
Durant is Penn State’s 23rd DT selected in the NFL Draft and its first since 2020.
Durant is the 21st Nittany Lion to be selected by the Bills all-time and the first since CB Daequan Hardy (6th round, 2024).
He joins Connor McGovern on the Bills roster.
Zane Durant · DT · 6-1 · 293 · Lake Nona, Fla. · Lake Nona
- Voted All-Big Ten honorable mention by the coaches and media in 2024 and 2025.
- Tabbed All-Big Ten honorable mention by the media in 2023.
- Was a member of the Lombardi Award Midseason Watch List in 2025.
- Played in 54 games and started 43 in his time at Penn State.
- Secured 89 tackles, 22 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, one forced fumble, one interception and three pass breakups in his PSU career.
- In 2025, had the most career tackles for loss among FBS defensive tackles.
- Tallied 25 tackles (14 solo), 4.5 tackles for loss, four sacks, one interception and two pass breakups as a senior.
- Notched 42 tackles, 11 tackles for loss and three sacks as a junior.
- Recorded first career interception against Nevada (8/30).
- Had four tackles and a sack at UCLA (10/4).
- Tallied career-high eight tackles and career-best three tackles for loss, including a sack, against Northwestern (10/11).
- Secured three tackles and a sack against Indiana (11/8).
- Had two tackles and a sack against Nebraska (11/22).
Allen is Penn State’s 37th RB selected in the NFL Draft.
Allen is the 25th Nittany Lion to be selected by the Commanders all-time and the first since WR Jahan Dotson (1st round, 2022).
He joins Odafe Oweh on the Commanders roster.
Kaytron Allen · RB · 5-11 · 218 · Norfolk, Va. · IMG Academy (Fla.)
- Named to the AFCA All-America second-team and Associated Press All-American third-team.
- Tabbed second-team All-American by On3.
- Voted first-team All-Big Ten by the coaches and media.
- Earned three Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week honors.
- Holds Penn State all-time records in rushing yards (4,180) and rushing attempts (769).
- Ranks third all-time at Penn State in rushing touchdowns (39), fifth in all-purpose yards (4,711), seventh in rushing yards per game (77.4) and ninth in 100-yard rushing games (13).
- Among Big Ten rushers, ranks 18th all-time in rushing yards and became the 23rd Big Ten player to surpass 4,000 career rushing yards.
- Tallied 13 career 100-yard rushing games and eight career games with multiple rushing touchdowns.
- Allen (4,180) and Nicholas Singleton (3,461) became the first Penn State teammates to reach 3,000 career rushing yards at the same time.
- Became one of nine Nittany Lions to have multiple 1,000-yard rushing seasons.
- Rushed for 1,303 yards and 15 touchdowns on 210 carries (6.2 yards per carry) and added 18 receptions for 68 yards in 2025.
- Tallied a rushing touchdown in 11 games.
- Rushed for 144 yards, including a 67-yard touchdown, against FIU (9/6).
- Totaled 145 rushing yards and two touchdowns at Iowa (10/18).
- Recorded 181 rushing yards and two touchdowns at Michigan State (11/15).
- Rushed for 160 yards, including a 50-yard run, and two touchdowns against Nebraska (11/22).
- Tallied career-high 226 rushing yards, 12th-most in a game at PSU and most since Larry Johnson at Michigan State (279) in 2002. Added a rushing touchdown and rushes of 55, 43 and 50 yards.
Penn State opens the 2026 season and the Matt Campbell era on Saturday, Sept. 5 against Marshall.
For information on joining the Nittany Lion Club and ticket information for the 2026 Penn State Football season presented by PSECU, as well as club seating in Beaver Stadium, fans can visit www.PSUnrivaled.com, or call 1-800-NITTANY weekdays from 9 a.m.-4 p.m.