Who is Gennings Dunker? Meet Iowa's Culvers-loving, mulletted lineman who may be most interesting NFL prospect originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
The viral sensation leading up to this year's NFL Draft is 6-foot-5 with a flowing red mullet and some of the most unique pre-game meals in the sport.
Meet Gennings Dunker, an offensive lineman from Lena, IL, a town with just 2,772 in the 2020 census. Dunker's high school had 241 students from grades 9-12, according to U.S. News & World Report.
Despite this, Dunker earned an offer to play college football at Iowa, spending four years with the Hawkeyes. Now with his college career in the rearview mirror, he's set his sights on the NFL Draft. And scouts have taken notice.
Here's everything to know about Iowa's offensive lineman who's taken the football world by storm.
MORE: NFL Draft 2026 dates, start times, TV channels, mock drafts
Gennings Dunker is a senior offensive lineman at Iowa, who many are projecting as a Day 2-caliber draft talent. He has also gained more virality than most of the offensive linemen projected in the second and third rounds.
One aspect of it is his appearance. The bright red mullet and mustache is bound to make Dunker stand out in a crowd, with Dunker mentioning his shock to ESPN's Adam Rittenberg that people came up to him at Chicago 's O'Hare Airport after the combine.
The other part of Dunker's virality, however, is his diet on gameday eve. In particular, his love of Culver's and gradual inability to stay unrecognized when eating there.
MORE: New NFL uniforms 2026: Tracking jersey redesigns for Falcons, Titans, others
In order to prepare for gameday, Dunker has his own particular routine that he follows to a tee.
5:30 p.m. (the night before 11 a.m. kickoff): Two to three servings of pasta with meat marinara sauce, a couple bread rolls, 12 oz. steak and two servings of fruit.
8:30 p.m. (the night before 11 a.m. kickoff): Three hamburgers, three bags of baked Lays chips, Drip Drop hydration mix and hot chocolate.
7:15 a.m.: Four pieces of toast, two bowls of Wheaties, a couple pancakes, two chicken breasts, 24 oz. water and Drip Drop hydration mix.
9 a.m.: Four pieces of toast and a chicken breast.
10:15 a.m.: Maurten Gel, Honey Stinger energy waffle and chews, and Drip Drop hydration mix.
Throughout the game: Powerade, water, Honey Stinger waffles and chews.
Halftime: Maurten Gel, Honey Stinger energy waffles and chews.
Postgame meal at Culver's: Double bacon cheeseburger, family size order of cheese curds or onion rings and three sides of ranch.
Alongside a crew from NFL Network, Dunker discussed his diet , with insider Mike Garafolo asking "What's Culver's?"
Rather than describing the food served at the midwestern chain restaurant, Dunker was taken aback.
"That's a crime. Are you serious?" Dunker asked. "That ain't right."
At the combine, Dunker measured out to be 6-foot-5 and 319 pounds. He also ran a 5.18 in the 40-yard dash.
Dunker is projected as a Day 2 pick in the NFL Draft, with most seeing him as a late second or early third round pick.
Vinnie Iyer's latest mock draft has Dunker getting drafted at No. 70 overall to the Cleveland Browns as a way to bolster their interior line.
It is almost a certainty that Dunker will hear his name called during the NFL Draft. The question remains when and where this Culver's-loving lineman will go to play professional football.
