NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Vanderbilt cemented its special teams reputation Saturday as long snapper Julian Ashby was chosen by the New England Patriots in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft.

Ashby was selected 251st overall and is the first draft pick under Clark Lea to have finished his eligibility at Vanderbilt. He is the first draft choice directly out of Vandy since Dayo Odeyingbo was selected in the second round of the 2021 draft by the Indianapolis Colts.

Ashby, a Lilburn, Georgia, native, is the first Vanderbilt specialist chosen in the draft since 2001 when kicker John Markham went to the New York Giants in the second round. Ashby is the fourth Vandy specialist to be drafted, joining Markham, Ricky Anderson (1985 to St. Louis Cardinals) and Jim Arnold (1983 to Kansas City Chiefs).

Ashby will be looking to join Commodore punter Matthew Hayball in the NFL after Hayball played for the New Orleans Saints as a rookie in 2024.

Joejuan Williams was the last Commodore selected by the Patriots, going to New England in the second round of the 2019 draft.

Ashby capped his career with the Commodores in 2024 as an Academic All-American for the second time in his career. He snapped in all 13 games, executing 114 snaps for the Dores to earn third-team All-America honors from Special Teams U.

He was a semifinalist for the Patrick Mannelly Award and named Vandy’s representative to the SEC Community Service Team.

Ashby spent the first three years of his career at Furman, where he was also an Academic All-American. He made 363 snaps during his Paladin career and was a finalist for the 2023 FedEx Ground Doris Robinson Scholar-Athlete Award, given to the FCS student-athlete who excels on the playing field, in the classroom and across the community.