May 13, 2026

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FIU Football Makes History During 2026 NFL Draft

Ricardo Urrusuno May 13, 2026 6 min read
FIU Football History Draft

FIU Football

FIU Football made program history during the 2026 NFL Draft, as 10 former players got either drafted, signed, or invited to the pros. They had two players get drafted, three UDFA signees, and five players invited to rookie mini camps.

Four players were on the 2025 roster for FIU, while the remaining six were on the 2024 football roster. For FIU Football, having so many athletes earn NFL opportunities during draft weekend marks an unforgettable milestone and sets a new standard for the program’s future.

Travis Burke – Chargers

Burke was drafted in the fourth round as the 117th overall pick by the Los Angeles Chargers. He made a total of 22 starts, allowing three sacks in his two seasons at FIU. The Hollywood native was named to the 2024 All-CUSA Preseason Second Team.

Travis Burke played his final season at Memphis, where he didn’t allow a sack and earned All-First Team American recognition. He got invited to the 2026 NFL Combine.

Hezekiah Masses – Raiders

Masses got drafted in the fifth round as the 175th overall pick by the Las Vegas Raiders. He started a total of 28 games for the Panthers and put up a total of 14 pass breakups in three seasons.

The Deerfield Beach native also had 105 career tackles, two fumble recoveries, two interceptions, and a blocked kick. Masses earned CUSA All-Freshman Team recognition in 2022 and was also named to the College Football News Freshman All-America Team.

Hezekiah Masses spent his senior year at California, where he had five interceptions, earning First Team All-ACC and Second Team All-American honors. He got an invite to the NFL Combine.

Kejon Owens – Vikings

Owens signed with the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted free agent. He spent six years at FIU, where he finished with 2,262 yards and 22 touchdowns.
His 2025 season was the best in program history by a running back with a record of 1,334 yards and 11 touchdowns on 212 rushes. Owens was named CUSA Offensive Player of the Year and First Team All-CUSA as a result of his performance.

The Miami native’s best game of the season came against Western Kentucky (October 14), where he ran for 195 yards on 22 carries, including an 84-yard rush, and caught a touchdown. Kejon Owens participated in the American Bowl and Reese’s Senior Bowl prior to the NFL Draft.

Eric Rivers – Buccaneers

Rivers signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent. He spent two seasons at FIU breaking records, making 94 receptions for 1,542 yards, and 14 touchdowns.
His junior year was the most impactful for Rivers, where he caught for 1,172 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns on 62 catches. The most notable game of his career came against New Mexico State (October 29), where he racked up a school record of 295 yards and three TDs on 11 receptions.

Eric Rivers played his senior season at Georgia Tech, where he made 46 catches for 658 yards and two touchdowns. He received an invite to the NFL Combine.

Eddie Walls III – Rams

Walls III signed with the Los Angeles Rams as an undrafted free agent. He spent his last season of eligibility in 2024 at FIU, collecting five sacks and 30 tackles in 11 games.
The Fort Myers native had his best game for the Panthers against Jax State (November 16), where he made four tackles, including two for a loss, and a couple of sacks for a loss of 19 yards.

Eddie Walls III previously played three seasons at Bethune-Cookman.

Julius Pierce – Bills & Chiefs

Pierce got invited to the rookie minicamp by both the Buffalo Bills and the Kansas City Chiefs. He spent four seasons at FIU, playing in 34 career games for the Panthers.
Last season, Pierce started in all 13 games and became the first FIU offensive lineman to earn CUSA Offensive Lineman of the Week honors. The Sanford native was also named Second Team-All CUSA in 2025.

Julius Pierce also played at Middle Tennessee during his collegiate career.

Olasunkonmi Agunloye – Ravens

Agunloye got invited to the rookie minicamp by the Baltimore Ravens. He spent his senior season in the 305, starting in 12 games last year while posting 22 tackles, 2.5 tackles for a loss, and 2.5 sacks.

His most notable performance came against Missouri State (October 29), where he finished with three assisted tackles, half a tackle for a loss, half a sack, and one pass breakup.

Olasunkonmi Agunloye has previously played at Marshall and Virginia.

Dean Patterson – Buccaneers

Patterson got invited to the rookie minicamp by the Buccaneers. He spent four seasons at FIU, totaling 1,406 receiving yards and eight touchdowns on 98 catches.

2024 was his best season, and he had a career-high of 116 yards against Jacksonville State (November 16). In 2023, Patterson led Conference USA in punt return average at 10.2.

The Lutz native spent his last year of eligibility at Georgia Tech, where he made eight receptions for 150 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Johnny Chaney Jr. – Saints

Chaney Jr. got invited to the rookie minicamp by the New Orleans Saints. In his only season at Florida International, he stood out by starting all 13 games and leading the team with 107 tackles, the 11th-most in program history.
The Apopka native had a season-high of 16 combined tackles against Kennesaw State (October 21). Chaney Jr. finished tied for third on the team with three sacks and second with two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.

He was named First Team All-USA after the season and had three games with 10+ tackles. The 69 solo tackles for Johnny Chaney Jr. were the fourth-most in the nation and fourth-most in program history.

Shomari Lawrence – Raiders

Lawrence got invited to the rookie minicamp by the Raiders. He spent two seasons at FIU, rushing for 743 yards and scoring five touchdowns on 172 carries.

His best performance was in the 2023 season opener against Louisiana Tech (August 26), where he ran for 139 yards, including a 67-yard TD run. Lawrence was named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team.

The Pompano Beach native then went on to play for Missouri State as a senior in 2025, accumulating 1,021 yards and seven touchdowns. Shomari Lawrence was named as a Second Team All-CUSA performer.

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About Post Author

Ricardo Urrusuno

He’s a diehard 305 native who roots for his hometown teams in the good, the bad, and the ugly. Recently, he graduated from FIU with an MBA, but now he’s a Lemonhead covering UM basketball. Known to be anywhere and everywhere, you may catch him at a Miami sporting event.

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