Nick Dawkins

Nicholas “Nick” Dawkins grew up in Allentown, Pa., with his parents (Darryl and Janice Dawkins). He has a younger sister (Alexis) and an older sister (Tabitha), who has Down’s syndrome. His father was a first-round pick (No. 5) in the 1975 NBA Draft and played 15 years (1975-89) for four teams. He scored 8,733 career NBA points and later played for the Harlem Globetrotters. He died of a heart attack in August 2015, at age 58. Nick’s cousin (Brian Dawkins) is a Pro Football Hall of Fame safety who played 16 years (1996-2011) in the NFL. Nick Dawkins played football as a kid, but lacrosse was his go-to sport until high school. He was a three-year varsity starter for the Parkland High School football team, primarily at left tackle, but he also saw snaps at center and guard. He earned all-state honors as a senior and lettered in track (personal best of 43 feet, 8.25 inches in the shot put). A three-star recruit, he committed to Penn State over Northwestern, Tennessee and others. He bided his time for four seasons before becoming the starter at center in 2024 and 2025. A two-time team captain, Dawkins is the type of prospect the Penn State coaches love talking about, because of his presence in the program (alpha leader, vocal in meetings, checks all the intangible boxes). On the field, he has a solid frame, with smooth bulk on his long arms. He is quick post-snap to stay square to rushers or get on the move to execute in the run game. However, his sustain skills and anchor strength need continued development, and he brings only average power at contact as a run blocker. Overall, Dawkins is a high-football-IQ field general and functional mover for the position, but he needs to continue getting stronger to take the next step and earn his way on to a 53. BEST OF THE REST NAME SCHOOL HEIGHT WEIGHT 40 YD 20 YD 10 YD VJ BJ SS 3-CONE BP HAND SIZE ARM LENGTH WING SPAN 16 JACK WALSH Wyoming 6034 304 5.20 2.90 1.76 29 1/2 8'9" 4.65 7.52 22 9 3/8 33 1/4 77 7/8 17 MASON RANDOLPH