Inside The Panthers

Pitt RB Israel Abanikanda Invited to NFL Combine

The Pitt Panthers' star tailback will get to show his skills off on the biggest pre-draft stage.

Stephen Thompson

Pitt RB Israel Abanikanda Invited to NFL Combine
Pitt RB Israel Abanikanda Invited to NFL Combine /
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PITTSBURGH -- Former Pitt Panthers star running back Israel Abanikanda will get a chance to show off his skills in front of NFL scouts on the biggest pre-draft stage of the year. Abanikanda was invited to the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine, he announced on his Instagram. Abanikanda posted a picture of the email invitation on his story. The Combine is held during the first week of March at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. 

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Abanikanda broke onto the national scene this year thanks to the Panthers' rush-heavy attack. After taking a backseat to the prolific passing game the past two seasons, he ran wild for long touchdown runs to fuel the offense. 

Abanikanda finished the season with 1,431 yards and 20 touchdowns, breaking Pitt's single-game rushing yards record formerly held by Tony Dorsett. He came second in ACC Player of the Year voting. Abanikanda also broke a more than 100-year-old single-game rushing touchdown record as well. 

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Stephen Thompson
STEPHEN THOMPSON

Stephen Thompson graduated with a bachelor's degree in communications and political science from Pitt in April 2022 after spending four years as a sports writer and editor at The Pitt News, the University of Pittsburgh's independent, student-run newspaper.  He primarily worked the Pitt men's basketball beat, and filled in on coverage of football, volleyball, softball, gymnastics and lacrosse, in addition to other sports as needed. His work at The Pitt News has won awards from the Pennsylvania News Media Association and Associated College Press.  During the spring and summer of 2021, Stephen interned for Pittsburgh Sports Now, covering baseball in western Pennsylvania. Hailing from Washington D.C., family ties have cultivated a love of Boston's professional teams and Pitt athletics, and a fascination with sports in general.  You can reach Stephen by email at stephenethompson00@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter. Read his latest work:

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