NORFOLK, Va. – Old Dominion University Football has eight Monarchs on initial 53-man NFL rosters after cutdown day on Tuesday.
Quarterback Taylor Heinicke (Falcons), long snapper Rick Lovato (Eagles), wide receiver Zach Pascal (Cardinals), linebacker Oshane Ximines (Patriots), tight end Stone Smartt (Chargers), cornerback Tre Hawkins (Giants), offensive lineman Nick Saldiveri (Saints) and running back Blake Watson (Broncos) made their respective rosters.
Heinicke and Lovato begin their 10th years each in the NFL. Heinicke is set to begin his second season with his hometown Atlanta Falcons, while Lovato begins his eighth full season with the Eagles.
After playing his first four seasons in the NFL with the Indianapolis Colts, Colts is set to begin his second season in Arizona.
Ximines, ODU’s first-ever NFL Draft Pick, signed as a free agent in the off-season with the Patriots and made the team after five seasons with the New York Giants.
Former ODU quarterback and wide receiver turned tight end, Smartt begins his third season with the Chargers.
Hawkins and Saldiveri, drafted in the 2023 NFL Draft, begin their seconds seasons with the Giants and Saints, respectively.
Watson made the Broncos as an undrafted rookie free agent. Initially a wide receiver with the Monarchs, Watson moved to running back late in the 2019 season and by early 2021 was ODU’s primary ball carrier. ODU’s third all-time leading rusher with 2,144 career yards, he holds the single-game rushing record with 259 yards in a 49-21 win at Coastal Carolina in 2022. He transferred to Memphis for his final year of eligibility.
The NFL regular season begins on Thursday, Sept. 5 with a matchup between the Chiefs and Ravens. The Monarch contingent gets underway from Brazil on Friday, Sept. 6 as the Eagles take on the Packers in Sao Paulo. The rest of the opening weekend takes place on Sunday, Sept. 8.
Monarchs Opening NFL Weekend
Friday, Sept. 6
Eagles vs. Packers
Sunday, Sept. 8
Steelers at Falcons
Cardinals at Bills
Patriots at Bengals
Panthers at Saints
Vikings at Giants
Raiders at Chargers
Broncos at Seahawks