Gavin Ortega
| No. 68 – Denver Broncos | |
|---|---|
| Position | Center |
| Roster status | Active |
| Personal information | |
| Born | April 29, 2004 |
| Listed height | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) |
| Listed weight | 300 lb (136 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Sehome (Bellingham, Washington) |
| College | Weber State (2022–2025) |
| NFL draft | 2026 (undrafted) |
| Career history | |
| |
| Awards and highlights | |
| |
Gavin Ortega (born April 29, 2004) is an American professional football center for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Weber State Wildcats and was signed by the Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 2026.
Early life
[edit]Ortega was born on April 29, 2004, to BJ and Marjorie Ortega.[1] He attended Sehome High School in Bellingham, Washington, where he played both football and basketball.[2] Rated as three-star recruit,[by whom?] Ortega received offers from a number of schools, including Eastern Washington University and Weber State University.[2][3] He eventually committed to Weber State in December 2021.[1][2]
College career
[edit]In college, Ortega played at left tackle, left guard, and right tackle.[1][3][4] During his freshman year in 2022, he played in six games.[1] In 2023, Ortega saw increased playing time as a starter, playing in 11 games and making 10 starts.[1] In 2024, he started all 12 games at left guard, and was also voted a team captain by his teammates.[1] Ortega subsequently earned second-team All-Big Sky Conference honors.[1] In 2025, he once again started in all 12 games and was voted a captain.[1][5] Led by Ortega, the Wildcats' offensive line allowed just 14 sacks, the fewest in the Big Sky that year.[6] Following his senior year, Ortega was named to the All-Big Sky first-team.[7]
Professional career
[edit]| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | Wingspan | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 304 lb (138 kg) | 33 in (0.84 m) | 10 in (0.25 m) | 6 ft 9+5⁄8 in (2.07 m) | 5.10 s | 1.76 s | 2.96 s | 4.69 s | 7.51 s | 30.0 in (0.76 m) | 9 ft 3 in (2.82 m) | 24 reps |
| All values from Pro Day[8][9] | ||||||||||||
Heading into the 2026 NFL draft, Ortega garnered attention as an FCS prospect due to his technique and hand placement in addition to his athleticism, with him logging a relative athletic score (RAS) of 8.76.[10][9]
Denver Broncos
[edit]After going unselected in the draft, Ortega signed with the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent on May 8, 2026.[6][11] Prior to the draft, the Broncos had hosted him for a top-30 visit on April 14.[12]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Gavin Ortega - Football". Weber State University Athletics.
- 1 2 3 Palmer, Hailey (January 23, 2022). "Student athletes look to camps, recruiting services for college opportunities | Cascadia Daily News". Retrieved May 29, 2026.
- 1 2 Thorn, Brandon (April 21, 2026). "NFL Draft 2026 Scouting Report for Weber State IOL Gavin Ortega". Bleacher Report. Retrieved May 29, 2026.
- ↑ Hein, Brett (September 25, 2025). "Weber State football: Offense still looking for 'complete game' as Big Sky play begins". Standard-Examiner. Retrieved May 29, 2026.
- ↑ Grua, Paul (August 21, 2025). "Weber State football names captains for 2025 season". Standard-Examiner. Retrieved May 29, 2026.
- 1 2 Grua, Paul (April 25, 2026). "Gavin Ortega signs as free agent with Denver Broncos". Weber State University Athletics. Retrieved May 29, 2026.
- ↑ Hein, Brett (November 29, 2025). "Weber State notebook: Ortega, Pate named to All-Big Sky First Team for football". Standard-Examiner. Retrieved May 29, 2026.
- ↑ "2026 NFL Draft Scout Gavin Ortega College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved May 28, 2026.
- 1 2 "Gavin Ortega RAS". RAS. June 13, 2020. Retrieved May 29, 2026.
- ↑ Becton, Stan (May 29, 2026). "FCS and HBCU football prospects to know in the 2026 NFL draft". NCAA.com. Retrieved May 29, 2026.
- ↑ DiLalla, Aric (May 28, 2026). "Broncos sign 13 college free agents". Denver Broncos. Retrieved May 28, 2026.
- ↑ Wakeman, Travis (May 17, 2026). "Broncos Undrafted Rookie Spotlight: Gavin Ortega prepares to push for rotational spot". The Sporting News. Retrieved May 29, 2026.
External links
[edit]- Living people
- 2004 births
- Players of American football from Washington (state)
- Sportspeople from Bellingham, Washington
- 21st-century American sportsmen
- American football offensive tackles
- American football offensive guards
- American football centers
- Weber State Wildcats football players
- Denver Broncos players