The 2026 NFL Scouting Combine kicked off and defensive players are the first batch to arrive at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind. That means three former Penn Staters started their impressions on NFL teams: defensive tackle Zane Durant, defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton, and safety Zakee Wheatley.
3 former Penn State players under the most pressure at the NFL Combine
Players engage in interviews with media and teams upon the first few days of their arrival. Durant was the first of the Nittany Lions at the podium.
"Handling adversity," Durant said is the biggest thing he gained from returning to Penn State for the 2025 season. "At Penn State, we did a lot of winning my first three years, so losing wasn’t a thing I was really comfortable with or used to. So, I think last year prepared me for the next step and just being able to be aware before things happen."
“At Penn State, we did a lot of winning my first three years, so losing wasn’t a thing I was really comfortable with or used to.”
— Joe Smeltzer (@joesmeltzer775) February 25, 2026
I asked Zane Durant how his decision to retire to Penn State made him better prepared for the NFL. Here’s his response. pic.twitter.com/whrsfUOLYF
Zane Durant says at the NFL Combine that Penn State prepared him for "handling adversity"
The Nittany Lions certainly did not have the season they anticipated. As the No. 2 team in the AP Preseason Top 25 Poll with a Heisman Trophy preseason candidate quarterback, Penn State expected to take its talent all the way to the College Football Playoff National Championship Game. Rather, the season ended with an interim head coach taking over halfway through and barely scraping by to make a non-playoff bowl game.
For Durant and other players who planned on declaring for the 2026 NFL Draft after the season, 2025 seemingly hurt their draft stock. At the combine, Durant is using the disappointment as a sneaky silver lining.
Penn State proved it can overcome adversity, rallying together as a unit to make the most out of an unideal situation. For NFL teams, that mentality can go a long way and that attitude is something important to have in the locker room. At the combine, teams aren't just looking at how well the players perform during drills, they're looking at who they are as people as well.
In 2025, Durant logged 25 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, four sacks, two passes defensed, and one interception. Over his career as a Nittany Lion from 2022-25, he registered 89 tackles, 22 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, three passes defensed, one fumble recovery, and one interception.