Four American Conference players receive 2026 NFL Combine invites

The National Championship is in the books. Super Bowl LX is cemented in history. Now it’s time for college football and the NFL to merge over the next several months as draft preparation enters full swing. Earlier this week, the NFL released a list of 319 draft hopefuls invited to the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine.

The Combine remains in its usual home of Indianapolis and will run from Feb. 23 to Mar. 2, where these 319 prospects will showcase their speed, strength, athleticism, and more in front of a horde of scouts. The American Conference earned four representatives to the Combine with three of its 14 member institutions represented. Here are the American prospects to watch in Indianapolis later this month:

Chris Adams, OT, Memphis

Adams spent three years as a full-time starter at the collegiate level, including two at Memphis. The 6’5”, 277 pound tackle began at Old Dominion in 2021 and rose to a starting role in 2022; however, a season-ending injury struck in game two, limiting his availability for the remainder of that campaign. But Adams recovered exceptionally, playing every single offensive snap for Old Dominion in 2023 with four starts at right tackle before an in-season transition to left tackle. He retained the starting left tackle role after his transfer to Memphis, paving the way for a 1,362-yard rusher in Mario Anderson during an 11-2 season in 2024 where the Tigers fielded the nation’s No. 12 scoring offense. Adams received an invite to the East-West Shrine Bowl in January as the first step in an offseason of proving himself.

Travis Burke, OT, Memphis

Burke manned the other side of Memphis’ offensive line as the right tackle in 2025, starting 11 games for the bowl-bound Tigers. His college journey was an eventful one, featuring three stops. The 6’9”, 315 pound tackle spent his first two seasons at FCS Gardner-Webb (2021-22) before transferring to FIU. Burke continued his progression for two years at FIU, earning 22 starts in 22 games played for the Panthers. Including his one-year stint at Memphis, the Hollywood, FL native concluded his college career with 33 FBS starts, earning plenty of experience in different systems. He also received an East-West Shrine Bowl invite in January before getting his bid to the NFL Combine.

Eli Heidenreich, RB/WR, Navy

Heidenreich is one of the most unique players to ever don a Navy uniform. While his position is commonly listed as running back, he is essentially a Swiss army knife suited for any role. Heidenreich left the Midshipmen as the program’s all-time leading receiver — from a career perspective (1,994 yards) and from a season perspective (941 yards in 2025). He once recorded 100 rushing and 100 receiving yards in the same game, showcasing his versatility in Navy’s option-based offense, and he also logged a Navy record 243 receiving yards in a 2025 contest vs. Air Force. He served as an established deep threat but also an explosive runner who registered 1,157 rushing yards on a 6.8 average across three seasons. The Pittsburgh native, who has clocked over 20 mph on the GPS tracker, starred at the East-West Shrine Bowl and enters the Combine as an intriguing offensive prospect who can thrive in a variety of roles.

Robert Henry Jr., RB, UTSA

Henry quickly made a name for himself in the 2025 season, rushing for over 140 yards and at least one touchdown in each of his first four games. The 5’9”, 205 pound Roadrunner running back became the ultimate breakaway runner, posting five 74+ yard touchdowns in those four contests alone. He wound up posting 1,045 yards on the season for the third-best total in UTSA history, and he exited San Antonio as the Roadrunners’ third-leading rusher of all-time. Henry also shined in 2023 with 588 yards and in 2024 with 706 yards, contributing a total of 27 rushing touchdowns in three years with the progrma. The talented running back was an East-West Shrine Bowl invite and becomes the seventh Roadrunner to earn a trip to the NFL Combine.

NFL Combine snubs

One of the most surprising omissions from the American Conference’s Combine invite list was Navy defensive tackle Landon Robinson. Robinson won the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year award, drew First Team AP All-American honors, and impressed scouts at the East-West Shrine Bowl with his dominance in the practices. Robinson not receiving an invite wasn’t just one of the biggest surprises from an American Conference standpoint but from a national perspective.

Other notable snubs included East Carolina wide receiver Anthony Smith, Tulsa running back Dominic Richardson, and UTSA inside linebacker Shad Banks Jr. — all of whom competed in the East-West Shrine Bowl.