An edge rusher who piled up six sacks in his lone season at James Madison after four years at Maine, then impressed his way onto the Patriots' roster.
Xavier Holmes spent four seasons building his game at Maine before transferring to James Madison for a productive final year that caught New England's attention. The 6-foot-2, 252-pound edge rusher went undrafted in 2026 but earned a roster spot after turning heads at Patriots minicamp.
Path to the league
Holmes played four seasons at Maine from 2021 to 2024 before transferring to James Madison for his final college season in 2025. He went unselected in the 2026 NFL Draft but signed with the New England Patriots as a rookie free agent after a strong showing at a rookie minicamp tryout.
Career highlights
Holmes broke out in his lone season at James Madison, delivering a standout performance in the Sun Belt Conference title game against Troy with three sacks in a 31-14 win. Patriots coach Mike Vrabel said the team viewed Holmes as a player who was undervalued in the pre-draft process.
2025 season recap
In 2025 at James Madison, Holmes played in 14 games and recorded 30 total tackles, 6 sacks, an interception, four passes defensed and a blocked kick. His production and pro-day showing were enough to convince the Patriots to sign him to their 90-man roster as an undrafted free agent.
Sources
- ESPN: Xavier Holmes
- Patriots.com: Xavier Holmes
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Linebacker
- Group
- defense
- College
- James Madison
- Hometown
- Clarksburg, MD, USA
- Age
- 24
- Status
- active
