Navy's all-time leading receiver whose hometown draft selection by the Steelers turned into one of the 2026 draft's most viral moments.
Eli Heidenreich became Navy's career receiving yards leader while also churning out steady production on the ground, then delivered one of the signature scenes of the 2026 NFL Draft when the Pittsburgh Steelers picked him in the seventh round and he walked to the stage in his midshipman dress blues. The Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania native is now heading to his hometown team.
Path to the league
A standout at Mt. Lebanon High School near Pittsburgh, Heidenreich signed with Navy and developed into a dual-threat weapon out of the Midshipmen's option-based offense. He finished his college career with 109 receptions for 1,994 yards and 16 touchdowns to go with 169 carries for 1,157 yards and 7 rushing touchdowns, becoming Navy's all-time receiving yards leader before the Steelers drafted him 230th overall in the seventh round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Career highlights
Heidenreich set Navy's career receiving touchdowns record and surpassed the program's previous all-time receiving yards mark. He earned second-team All-American Athletic Conference honors in 2025 and was invited to play in the 2026 East-West Shrine Bowl.
2025 season recap
In his senior season, Heidenreich caught 51 passes for 941 yards and 6 touchdowns while adding 77 carries for 499 yards and 3 more scores on the ground. He also set a Navy single-game record with 243 receiving yards during the year.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Eli Heidenreich
- Steelers.com: Steelers select Heidenreich in seventh round
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Running Back
- Group
- offense
- College
- Navy
- Hometown
- Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Age
- 23
- Status
- active
