Julian Ashby

Early life

Ashby was born on July 8, 2002, in Atlanta, Georgia. His father played college tennis and his uncle, Richard, played professionally on the ATP Tour. He attended Parkview High School in Lilburn, Georgia, where he played football, beginning as a quarterback before switching to long snapper. He appeared in 39 games as a long snapper and helped Parkview to a 12–2 record with a state playoff semifinals appearance as a senior. At Parkview, Ashby also played soccer as a goalkeeper. He signed to play college football for the NCAA Division I FCS-level Furman Paladins.

College career

Ashby served as the starting long snapper for the Paladins from 2020 to 2023. He appeared in seven games in 2020, 11 games in 2021, and 13 games in both 2022 and 2023. As a senior in 2023, he helped the team to a record of 10–3 with a Southern Conference championship and an appearance in the quarterfinals of the FCS playoffs. Ashby was named a first-team FCS All-American for his performance in the 2023 season. At Furman, he majored in physics and had a grade point average (GPA) of 3.97, the highest on the football team. He transferred to the Vanderbilt Commodores for his final season, 2024, and appeared in 13 games. He was a semifinalist for the Patrick Mannelly Award as best long snapper nationally and recorded two tackles during the season.