William Wagner is a decorated Michigan long snapper who went undrafted before locking down the Bengals' long-snapping job as a rookie.
William Wagner arrived in Cincinnati as one of the most accomplished long snappers to come out of college football, having anchored Michigan's special teams through a national championship run. He turned that steady track record into a smooth transition as the Bengals' long snapper in 2025.
Path to the league
Wagner logged 478 snaps over five seasons at Michigan, winning three consecutive Big Ten championships and a national title in 2023. He was a finalist for the 2024 Patrick Mannelly Award given to the nation's top long snapper, the first such finalist in Michigan history, and was rated the top long snapper in his draft class by The Athletic's Dane Brugler. He went unselected in the 2025 NFL Draft and signed with the Cincinnati Bengals as an undrafted free agent.
Career highlights
At 6-foot-2 and 245 pounds, Wagner was part of a Michigan program that won three straight Big Ten titles and the 2023 national championship, giving him a rare resume for a specialist entering the league.
2025 season recap
Wagner won the Bengals' long-snapping job as an undrafted rookie and handled the role without any in-game snapping errors, working with punter Ryan Rehkow and holder/kicker Evan McPherson, who had a standout 2025 season.
Sources
- Wikipedia: William Wagner (long snapper)
- ESPN: William Wagner
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Long Snapper
- Group
- specialTeam
- College
- Michigan
- Hometown
- Alpharetta, GA, USA
- Age
- 25
- Status
- active
