More Preseason Applause for Penn State Football

College football watch-list season is almost over, we promise. But one notable list was released this week that underscored just how deep the Penn State football roster is with veteran talent.

The Senior Bowl announced its inaugural Top 300 List of the leading draft-eligible prospects in college football. Formerly, the Senior Bowl released a preseason list of 850 players but this year was more selective to "truly spotlight the top-tier talent across the country,” Senior Bowl Executive Director Drew Fabianich said in a news release.

Penn State placed 10 players on the Top 300 List, joining four other programs (LSU, Alabama, Ole Miss and Oklahoma) with at least 10 representatives. Notably, Penn State is the only Big Ten program with double-digit players on the Senior Bowl Top 300.

The list shouldn't surprise Penn State fans familiar with the team's roster. However, it does affirm Penn State coach James Franklin's assessment that the team could have a dozen players selected in the 2026 NFL Draft. Here's the list of Nittany Lions on the Senior Bowl Top 300. See if you can spot one notable omission:

• Quarterback Drew Allar

• Running b ack Kaytron Allen

• Defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton

• Defensive tackle Zane Durant

• Receiver Trebor Pena

• Offensive lineman Vega Ioane

• Receiver Devonte Ross

• Offensive lineman Drew Shelton

• Running back Nicholas Singleton

• Safety Zakee Wheatley
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One notable player absent from the list is junior cornerback A.J. Harris, who will be a second-year starter for the Nittany Lions. Harris is among the top returning cornerbacks in the Big Ten and a preseason nominee for the Lott IMPACT Trophy . Though 53 underclassmen made the Top 300, the Senior Bowl said it is judicious when considering juniors. Sixth-year senior center Nick Dawkins also didn't make the list.

As the Senior Bowl noted in its release, "this is just the beginning, and this season is the most important part of the evaluation process." The Senior Bowl is the leading pre-combine scouting event for draft-eligible players. The 2026 Senior Bowl will take place Jan. 31 in Mobile, Alabama.

Four Nittany Lions on USA Today preseason All-America Team