Three Boise State players invited to NFL Scouting Combine, extending school’s streak

Three Boise State football players are heading to the NFL Scouting Combine.

The NFL released a list of 319 players who have been invited to the combine on Wednesday, and Boise State safeties JL Skinner and Tyreque Jones and left tackle John Ojukwu were on it.

The Broncos have had at least one player invited to the premier combine for NFL Draft prospects every year since 2005, and most of them were drafted.

Tight end John Bates made the trek to Indianapolis in 2021 before he was picked in the fourth round by the Washington Commanders. Wide receiver Khalil Shakir competed at the combine last year and went to the Buffalo Bills in the fifth round.

This year’s combine is scheduled for Feb. 27-March 6 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

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Skinner just wrapped up a week at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama, where he was named the National Team’s defensive specialist practice player of the week, but he didn’t play in the game after learning of his aunt’s death.

The 6-foot-4, 220-pounder earned first-team All-Mountain West honors after leading the Broncos with four interceptions and finishing No. 2 on the team with 63 tackles last season.

Jones and Ojukwu competed in the annual East-West Shrine game last week in Las Vegas.

Ojukwu appeared in 55 games and started 50 during his six-year career at Boise State. The 6-6, 315-pounder started 32 straight games at left tackle after former Bronco Ezra Cleveland was picked by the Minnesota Vikings in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft.

Jones appeared in 59 games during his six-year college career and finished with 157 tackles and four interceptions. He played safety until moving to nickel last season and posting 34 tackles and one interception in 12 games.

Boise State players at the NFL Combine

2023: S JL Skinner, S Tyreque Jones, OL John Ojukwu

2022: WR Khalil Shakir

2021: TE John Bates

2020: DL Curtis Weaver, WR John Hightower, OL John Molchon, OL Ezra Cleveland

2019: RB Alexander Mattison, QB Brett Rypien

2018: LB Leighton Vander Esch, WR Cedrick Wilson Jr.

2017: RB Jeremy McNichols, LB Tanner Vallejo

2016: LB Kamalei Correa, OL Rees Odhiambo, S Darian Thompson

2015: RB Jay Ajayi

2014: DL Demarcus Lawrence, OL Charles Leno Jr., OL Matt Paradis

2013: CB Jamar Taylor, RB DJ Harper

2012: DL Tyrone Crawford, S George Iloka, DL Shea McClellin, OL Nate Potter, DL Billy Winn, RB Doug Martin, QB Kellen Moore

2011: WR Austin Pettis, CB Brandyn Thompson, WR Titus Young, S Jeron Johnson, TE Ryan Winterswyk

2010: CB Kyle Wilson

2009: WR Jeremy Childs, RB Ian Johnson

2008: OL Ryan Clady, CB Orlando Scandrick

2007: S Gerald Alexander, WR Legedu Naanee, TE Derek Schouman, QB Jared Zabransky, WR Drisan James, WR Jerard Rabb

2006: OL Daryn Colledge

2005: K Tyler Jones