Chargers Roster Spotlights: Johnny Pascuzzi, an Athletic Tryout Signee

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Johnny Pascuzzi, born on May 17, 2002, played his high school ball at Rockhurst in Kansas City, Missouri, becoming a two-sport athlete for both football and baseball.
During his time at the school, he earned captain honors for his senior football season, garnering enough attention to earn a two-star honor according to 247Sports. He had interest from Kentucky, Missouri and Iowa. Pascuzzi walked on to Iowa and redshirted in 2021.
In 2022, 2023 and 2024, the Kansas City native played very sparingly for the Iowa Hawkeyes, seeing two catches for 41 yards and zero touchdowns. For his senior season in 2025, Pascuzzi decided to transfer to Tulane in hopes of more playing time and an opportunity to receive the football.
He got his wish, playing more snaps, but not enough play time to earn proper hype from the NFL Draft community, with scouts from TheKneaux discussing his positives as "[An] athletic tight end with good size and receiving ability who played at Tulane after time at Iowa. Brings the Iowa tight end pedigree with solid blocking fundamentals and improving receiving production in spread offenses."
Chargers Johnny Pascuzzi, TE Tulane
With enough athletic ability and blocking fundamentals learned from Tight End University, Iowa, Pascuzzi saw himself signed onto the Los Angeles Chargers 90-man roster after a tryout with the team and after a tryout with the Bolts' rival, the Kansas City Chiefs.
2025 Season Stats
14 Games
12 Receptions
158 Yards
1 Touchdown
Measurables
Mockdraftable measurables unavailable. Below is Pascuzzi's RAS card.
Johnny Pascuzzi is a TE prospect in the 2026 draft class. He scored a 7.46 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 375 out of 1471 TE from 1987 to 2026.https://t.co/bIafvueQ6c pic.twitter.com/wx5vI9OWwl
— RAS.football (@MathBomb) April 15, 2026
Contract Status
"Johnny Pascuzzi signed a three year, $3,100,000 UDFA contract with the Chargers on May 12, 2026." - OverTheCap
Johnny Pascuzzi's 2026 Season Outlook
Now in Los Angeles, Pascuzzi finds himself in a busy tight end room, with plenty of options with intriguing skillsets ahead of him. The room seems to be filled out from options 1-3, with Oronde Gadsden II, Charlie Kolar and David Njoku. However, if the Chargers opt to keep four tight ends on the final 53-man roster, Pascuzzi has a chance to make his case come August cut-down days.
Whether it is his athletic traits with a 4.69 40-yard dash or his blocking fundamentals seen on his Iowa film, he could see himself fighting with fellow UDFA options, Jerand Bradley and Evan Svoboda, for the final spot on the roster or practice squad.
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Nate Gosney is lifelong Chargers fan and football nerd who has been writing NFL content since 2022. As a former OL/TE in a run-only offense, he loves some old-school, tough football. Gosney also earned an Associates Degree in Journalism from Chaffey College and a Bachelors Degree in Communication Studies from Cal State San Bernardino. Follow Gosney on X for more updates: @NateGosney
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