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the 40 at the combine and wanted to dispel concerns about his speed. "I wasn't no 4.7, 4.8 guy," he said. At pro day, he turned in a 4.59. A four-year starter at Penn State, Allen is being hailed as a potential fourth-rounder. Apke wanted to show that his com- bine performance was the real deal. He had run a 4.34-second 40 in Indy, tops among safeties, and was quite willing to let that stand, so he didn't run the 40 in Holuba Hall. He did participate in defensive back drills and said he was happy with his work for the scouts at the combine and at the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl, where he took home MVP honors. Said Apke, "I think I helped myself a lot." Other former Penn State players who participated in pro day were linebackers Jason Cabinda and Bran- don Smith, defensive backs Christian Campbell, Grant Haley, Desi Davis and Mitchell Vallone, defensive line- men Curtis Cothran, Parker Cothren, Tyrell Chavis and Colin Castagna, of- fensive linemen Brendan Mahon and Paris Palmer, receiver Saeed Black- nall, tight end Tom Pancoast, running back Josh McPhearson and place kicker Tyler Davis. The 6-4, 248-pound Castagna had the best performance of the day in the bench press, with 30 reps at 225 pounds. Of the players who ran the 40 at pro day, Blacknall turned in the best time, finishing in 4.39 seconds. Several of those players will likely be chosen in the middle to late rounds of the draft, but the star of the show will be Barkley, who is poised to be- come Penn State's first top-five pick since Levi Brown in 2007, and maybe even its first No. 1 overall selection since Courtney Brown in 2000. "Whatever team drafts me, I'll be truly excited," he said. "It's an honor. I don't think about getting my name called No. 1. I just think about getting my name called, period. That's a mo- ment that you think about for the rest of your life. Whether you play two years or 12 years in the league, no one can take that from you." ■ This year's dra; class is expected to be Penn State's biggest since 2010, when six Nittany Lions were taken, including defensive lineman Jared Odrick, the pro- gram's most recent 9rst-rounder. With so many professional-grade players de- parting and few of their projected re- placements holding senior eligibility, the Lions probably won't send as many players into the 2019 dra; pool. But there are a number of names on the team's 2018 roster that will undoubtedly pique the interest of NFL coaches. Here's a look: KOA FARMER The 6-foot-1, 236-pound senior bounced around a bit before 9nd- ing a permanent home at outside line- backer. He's made 15 starts the past two seasons and will be called on to help lead a youthful linebacker corps this fall. Since the end of the Paterno era, Linebacker U has been in some- thing of a drought, having sent only two linebackers into the dra;: Gerald Hodges and Michael Mauti, both in 2013. But Jason Cabinda has a chance to buck that trend in a few weeks, and Farmer could end up joining him in the league a year from now. JUWAN JOHNSON The 6-4, 229- pound wideout will only be a junior in 2018, but if he continues to enjoy the kind of success he had last fall, he will surely be tempted to forgo his 9nal season. Johnson caught 54 passes for 701 yards as a redshirt sopho- more and is the Nittany Lions' top re- turning receiver. His size is reminiscent of Alshon Je:ery, Julio Jones and Bran- don Marshall, and Johnson has learned how to use it to his advantage. Said James Franklin, "You're talking about a wideout who is 6-4, 230 pounds. He can run, and now he's breaking tackles and making one-handed catches. His catch radius is unbelievable." NFL scouts are likely to concur, giving Johnson a chance to join older brother George in the league. George Johnson has played seven pro seasons, and recently signed a one-year contract extension with the Saints. TRACE McSORLEY The Nittany Lions' All-Big Ten quarterback is the most in- triguing player on this list. After only two seasons as a starter, he's already well within reach of Christian Hackenberg's school record for most career passing yards, having totaled 7,369 so far. He needs only 1,089 yards to become the school's all-time leader. McSorley has already smashed Hacken- berg's mark for most career touchdown passes, raising his total to 59 with a two-TD outing against Washington in the Fiesta Bowl. Hackenberg was taken in the sec- ond round of the 2016 draft, creat- ing the vacancy F O O T B A L L Nittany Lions likely to feature smaller draft class in 2019 TRACE McSORLEY Steve Manuel

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