Gavin Gerhardt is an American professional football center for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Cincinnati Bearcats and was selected by the Vikings in the seventh round of the 2026 NFL draft.
Early life
Gerhardt was a three-star recruit from Xenia High School in Xenia, Ohio. He helped lead the Buccaneers football team to an MVL championship in 2019 and their first playoff berth in school history.[1] Gerhardt was named to the Division II All-Ohio First Team by the Ohio Prep Sportswriters Association, and was co-MVP for the team.[2]
College career
Gerhardt was redshirted his first year with Cincinnati in 2020. In 2021 he appeared in four games as a reserve offensive lineman.[3] He became a starter as a sophomore and was a three-year team captain. In 2025 as a senior, Gerhardt started 13 games and was a third-team All-Big 12 selection. He was on the Rimington Award Watch List for nation’s best center, the Allstate Good Works Watch List and the Wuerffel Trophy Watch List.[4] Gerhardt was a part of the offensive line that was named Big 12 Offensive Line of the Week three times during the season.[2] Gerhardt declared for the 2026 NFL draft in January 2026.[5]
Professional career
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | Wingspan | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 4+3⁄8 in (1.94 m) |
309 lb (140 kg) |
32+1⁄2 in (0.83 m) |
9+1⁄4 in (0.23 m) |
6 ft 6+5⁄8 in (2.00 m) |
5.21 s | 1.84 s | 3.03 s | 4.67 s | 7.65 s | 25.5 in (0.65 m) |
8 ft 7 in (2.62 m) |
27 reps |
| All values from Pro Day[6] | ||||||||||||
Gerhardt was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the seventh round with the 235th overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft.[7]
References
- ^ Smith, Kayler (April 25, 2026). “Xenia grad, UC Bearcat Gavin Gerhardt draft in 7th round by Vikings”. AOL.com. Retrieved April 27, 2026.
- ^ a b Digby, Matthew (April 25, 2026). “Xenia’s Gerhardt drafted by Minnesota Vikings”. WKEF. Retrieved April 27, 2026.
- ^ “Gavin Gerhardt – 2025 Football Roster”. University of Cincinnati Athletics – Official Athletics Website. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
- ^ Pfahler, Laurel (April 16, 2026). “Cincinnati Bengals: Xenia grad Gerhardt feels at home during local players workout”. Dayton Daily News. Retrieved April 27, 2026.
- ^ Rapien, James (January 10, 2026). “Cincinnati Bearcats Mainstay Officially Declares for 2026 NFL Draft”. Sports Illustrated. Retrieved April 27, 2026.
- ^ “Gavin Gerhardt College Football Profile”. DraftScout.com. Retrieved April 25, 2026.
- ^ Peters, Craig; Young, Lindsey (April 25, 2026). “Vikings Select Cincinnati C Gavin Gerhardt with 235th Pick”. Vikings.com.