Gavin Gerhardt (born March 21, 2002) is an American professional football center for the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Cincinnati Bearcats and was selected by the Minnesota 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. Gerhardt was named to the Division II All-Ohio First Team by the Ohio Prep Sportswriters Association, and was co-MVP for the team.
College career Gerhardt was redshirted his first year with Cincinnati in 2020. In 2021 he appeared in four games as a reserve offensive lineman. 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. Gerhardt was a part of the offensive line that was named Big 12 Offensive Line of the Week three times during the season. Gerhardt declared for the 2026 NFL draft in January 2026.
Professional career
Minnesota Vikings Gerhardt was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the seventh round with the 235th overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft. On August 30, 2026, he was waived by the Vikings as part of the final roster cuts. He was signed to the Vikings practice squad the next day. He was waived from the practice squad the next day after that.
Houston Texans On September 8, 2026, Gerhardt was signed to the Houston Texans practice squad.
References
External links Houston Texans bio Cincinnati Bearcats bio