The offensive lineman was one of three former Wildcats competing in Indianapolis.
At Northwestern's Pro Day last year, head coach David Braun said he looked forward to having a strong representation from his program at the NFL Scouting Combine in 2026. His claim came after the Wildcats did not have a player participate in the event for the second year in a row, and Braun got his wish 12 months later.
Three Wildcats took the field at Indianapolis' Lucas Oil Stadium over the weekend, and Northwestern appears likely to snap its multi-year drought when at least one 'Cat hears their name in April's NFL Draft.
Left tackle Caleb Tiernan had the most buzz coming into the Combine as a potential mid-round selection. Although he did not go through every drill, the three-year starter still managed to turn heads. Tiernan's 35.5-inch vertical jump was the eighth-best in Combine history at his position and the best among 2026 offensive linemen. He also logged a 9-foot-3-inch broad jump.
Tiernan measured out at 6-foot-8 and 323 pounds, about an inch taller than he was listed at during his time in Evanston. His arm length and hand size did rank near the bottom when matched up against counterparts, but Tiernan still managed to grade well in terms of the NFL Next Gen Stats' Production Score and Athleticism Score.
The showing landed Tiernan an honorable mention among Nick Shook's All-Combine Team on NFL.com.
Tiernan's standing in NFL Draft circles varies by the outlet. Pro Football Focus has the 23-year-old lineman as the No. 53 overall prospect on its board, while CBS Sports ranks Tiernan No. 60, Bleacher Report places him No. 98 and ESPN has Tiernan all the way down at No. 117 overall. Those projections would have Tiernan being selected as early as Round 2 or as late as Round 4.
Northwestern right guard Evan Beerntsen also received an invite to the NFL Scouting Combine after his lone season in Evanston. The former FCS National Champion with South Dakota State similarly completed the vertical jump (32.5 inches) and broad jump (8 feet, 9 inches), but he also ran the 40-yard dash.
The 6-foot-3, 300-pound graduate student notched a 40-yard time of 5.25 seconds, good for 11th among guards at the event.
Edge rusher Aidan Hubbard participated in just one event, tallying 21 reps on the bench press. The senior ranks fifth all-time in sacks at Northwestern.