Copyright Baltimore Sun
Scouts from all 32 National Football League teams have come to the Naval Academy this fall to attend practice, watch film and meet with members of the coaching staff. Every one of those scouts has traveled to Annapolis to further evaluate one player: snipe Eli Heidenreich, who has clearly established himself as a professional prospect. Further evidence of that fact came late last month when it was announced that Heidenreich received an invitation to the East-West Shrine Bowl, which is being played Jan. 27 at the Ford Center in Frisco, Texas, and televised on the NFL Network. The East-West Shrine Bowl ranks second only to the Senior Bowl as a showcase for standout seniors looking to further impress NFL scouts. Heidenreich becomes the 35th Navy football player selected for the game and first since inside linebacker Diego Fagot in 2021. “I’m super-excited and grateful for the opportunity. It is a very, very prestigious game featuring a lot of great players that are all looking to go to the next level,” Heidenreich said last week. “I’ll have a chance to compete against the best and show what I can do.” During August training camp, it was commonplace to see multiple NFL scouts patrolling the Navy practice field. Earlier in the day, they visited with Navy head coach Brian Newberry, offensive coordinator Drew Cronic and snipes coach David Cole to dial down further on Heidenreich. “We’ve had just about every NFL team come through here this fall and I think they’re all very impressed with what Eli can do,” Newberry said. “In the right system, he can certainly play in the NFL. There is no doubt in my mind.” Cronic certainly does not need convincing considering he has found all sorts of ways to showcase Heidenreich’s versatile skill set. Over the past two seasons, Cronic has lined up Heidenreich all over the field as either a running back, slot receiver or split end. Navy’s second-year coordinator has drawn up plays that feature Heidenreich taking handoffs in the backfield or on jet sweeps, or catching passes at the short, intermediate and deep levels. Navy’s super snipe can turn a screen pass or crossing route into a long gain with his tremendous elusiveness or speed past an unsuspecting safety on a post route to catch a bomb. “Eli does a lot of things really well. He’s a good route-runner, has really strong hands and makes contested catches. He’s very dynamic in space as far as breaking tackles and making people miss,” Cronic said. “You can put Eli in the backfield and he has the skill set to run between the tackles or on the perimeter. He is truly a hybrid player and you can pretty much put him out there anywhere.” During a 42-32 victory over Florida Atlantic on Oct. 25, Heidenreich showcased another ability the coaching staff knew he had, but which has not been on display very often the last two seasons. Fellow snipe Brandon Chatman had a huge game with a career-high 141 rushing yards thanks in part to Heidenreich’s blocking. “Eli Heidenreich probably blocked the perimeter as good as I’ve ever seen in that [Florida Atlantic] game. The kid is tough as nails and enjoys the competition,” Cronic said. Cole said Heidenreich graded out extremely high in the North Texas game despite only carrying the ball six times for 19 yards and making two catches for 22 yards. “We know Eli is special with the ball in his hands, but he has shown he can be an impact player without the ball in his hands.” Heidenreich is enjoying a tremendous senior season. He is easily the team’s leading receiver with 33 catches for 595 yards and four touchdowns, and is third on the team in rushing with 357 yards and three scores on just 50 carries. He is averaging more than 11 yards per touch. NFL scouts need only watch the Air Force game to see how dangerous and explosive Heidenreich can be. He set a single-game school record with 243 receiving yards on a career-high eight catches. He also tied a program record with three receiving touchdowns, including an 80- and a 60-yarder. “Just turn on the tape and you will see the playmaking ability Eli possesses. His film doesn’t lie,” Cole said. “What we as coaches see behind the scenes is his passion for football. He loves to play the game and has a strong desire to develop and improve.” Heidenreich is hoping to follow in the footsteps of numerous Navy offensive players from the triple-option era that have made it to the NFL. That list includes record-setting quarterbacks Keenan Reynolds and Malcolm Perry, both of whom were drafted and played wide receiver at the pro level. Fullbacks Kyle Eckel and Eric Kettani signed as undrafted free agents and spent multiple years in the NFL, primarily on practice squads. Last season, safety Rayuan Lane III became the first Navy defensive player selected in the NFL Draft since Bob Kuberski was taken by the Green Bay Packers in 1993. Lane was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars with the 24th pick (200th overall) of the sixth round and is currently the team’s starting gunner on punt coverage. Last year, Congress cleared the way for service academy graduates to pursue professional sports immediately after graduation. Heidenreich, who is seeking Marine Corps Ground as a service selection, was asked about the prospect of playing at the professional level. The lifelong diehard fans of the Pittsburgh Steelers said it was “pretty surreal.” “You always dream about playing in the NFL growing up and you have your favorite team that you follow closely,” he said. “It’s really a special feeling and not something that has truly hit me yet. When you take a step back and think about what it means, it’s pretty awesome.” Heidenreich, who will learn later this month if he will be invited to the Senior Bowl, has heard that various NFL teams project him differently in terms of position at the next level. Some see the 6-foot, 210-pound speedster as a third down running back, while others envision him as a slot receiver. “I truly think Eli could grow into a Christian McCaffrey type of player. I think you could put him in the backfield and run gap schemes or inside zone,” Cole said. “I believe Eli can evolve into somebody you can use all over the field.” Cronic described Heidenreich as a “very sturdy and put together dude,” while Cole says he “passes the eyeball test.” “Eli has a pro skill set and a pro body as well. All the scouts I’ve talked to definitely think he has the ability to play at that next level,” Cole said. Further adding to a strong pro prospect profile is the fact Heidenreich has proven he can and will play special teams. He is currently a gunner on the punt coverage unit and at various times has served as a punt returner and on kickoff coverage. “Special teams is something I really enjoy doing,” Heidenreich said. Navy fullback Alex Tecza has been close friends with Heidenreich dating back to their days playing Pop Warner football together. They were teammates at Mount Lebanon High in Pittsburgh before coming to Navy as somewhat of a package deal. Tecza joked this week that he and Heidenreich remain a package deal in terms of the NFL, saying “wherever he goes I’m following.” In all seriousness, Tecza is thrilled his boyhood buddy seems well on the way to getting an opportunity to play professionally. “I’m super-proud of Eli and I know he will do really well wherever he winds up,” Tecza said.
