Zander Horvath, a fullback, was signed by the New Orleans Saints on Thursday, the team announced. The Los Angeles Chargers originally selected Horvath, 6-3, 230, out of Purdue in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL Draft. In 2023, Horvath played for the Chargers and the Pittsburgh Steelers.
On September 2, Horvath was signed by the Steelers to their practice squad following his release by the Chargers. But his time there was brief—on October 9, he was freed. On November 22, Horvath re-signed with the Chargers practice squad, however on December 1, he was let go.
Horvath would have been the most athletic fullback to ever test at the NFL Combine if he had done so. With his 4.60 40-yard dash, 35.5-inch vertical jump, 31 bench press repetitions, 4.25 short shuttle, 6.75 3-cone, and 10-foot-3-inch broad jump, he achieved an impeccable 10 out of 10 Relative Athletic Score (RAS).
Horvath was selected by the Chargers in the 2022 NFL Draft out of Purdue thanks to their tests. Horvath gained eight yards on four rushes as a rookie, caught five catches for eight yards and two touchdowns, and had one special teams tackle. Horvath, a fullback/H-back, was chosen for the Pro Football Journal All-Rookie first team. Horvath, an ardent special team player, became a key member of Los Angeles’ special teams unit last season after playing 256 special teams snaps on kick return, kick block, punt return, and punt coverage.
Horvath had his greatest year at Purdue during the COVID-19 season, when he amassed 442 rushing yards, two touchdowns, and 304 receiving yards. After an outstanding brief season, he was named to the Big Ten Third Team. He gained over 400 yards overall in his senior year, with 320 of those yards coming on the ground.
Horvath, an Indianapolis native, attended Marian High School for his high school career. There, he ran for 3,373 yards and 50 touchdowns while earning multiple awards, such as Academic All-State, Indiana All-State, and USA Today Midwest Regional All-American.
