The Washington Commanders added to their offensive line depth last week by signing veteran Nate Herbig. Here are five things to know about the new guard.

1. He had a decorated high school career.

Herbig grew up in Kalaheo, Hawaii, and was ranked as one of the best centers in the country by Scout.com and a top-five overall prospect from the state by PrepStar, Rivals, ESPN and Scout. ESPN's scouting report of Herbig noted that he "possesses excellent height for interior OL" and "can deliver a jolting punch and once locked on can fight to stay in front of rushers."

In addition to collecting First Team all-conference and all-state honors, Herbig collected two other accolades during his senior year. He received the Harry Kahuanui Memorial Award, which is given to the best high school offensive lineman in Hawaii, and was named the Maximum Exposure Camp offensive line MVP.

St. Lewis High School had multiple years of success with Herbig on their offensive line, as he helped lead them to two conference titles. The Crusaders finished Herbig's senior year with a 9-2 record and advanced to the third round of the HHSAA playoffs before falling to Kahuku High School.

Herbig, rated as a three-star recruit by ESPN, received offers from a dozen Division I schools and accepted a scholarship from Stanford.

2. He comes from a football family.

Herbig comes from a family with a history in the sport. His father, Bruce, played football and basketball at Lewis and Clark College, while his grandfather played at Wheaton College in Illinois.

Herbig and his brother, Nick, followed in their footsteps and pursued a career in the sport. Five years after Nate committed to Stanford, Nick joined the University of Wisconsin and played linebacker for the Badgers. He played three seasons and recorded 137 tackles with 21 sacks, leading the Big Ten with 11 in 2022. Nick was named to multiple All-American teams and was later drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the fourth round.

Nate dealt with an injury that kept him out of the 2024 season, but he signed with the Steelers in 2023, giving him a chance to play alongside his brother, albeit on opposite sides of the ball. It was a cool moment, Herbig said during his press conference, for him and his brother to be on the same team, but he's looking forward to the competition that he knows Nick will bring whenever they're on the field together again (the Commanders and Steelers aren't scheduled to play each other again until 2028).

"I think I'd have more fun playing him," Herbig said with a smile.

3. He has experience as an NFL starter.

It's been a while since Herbig was on a football field, as he missed the entire 2024 season with a rotator cuff injury sustained in training camp. But the undrafted free agent has found ways to earn spots on rosters and make a meaningful impact for his teams.

Since his first game in 2019, which serendipitously came against Washington, Herbig has played in 61 matchups with 30 starts, the first of which also came against Washington in the 2020 season opener. Most of his playing time has come at right guard, but he's also played 408 snaps at left guard and 49 at center.

Herbig has made the most of his opportunities and done a solid job of protecting his quarterbacks with his 6-foot-4, 334-pound frame. He's allowed just five sacks in his career on 1,363 pass-blocking plays. The last time he was a consistent starter, which occurred with the New York Jets in 2022, Herbig allowed only one sack and three quarterback hits in 11 starts.

4. He was an All-Pac-12 player at Stanford.

Herbig redshirted his freshman year but ended up being a regular part of the Cardinal's offensive line the following season, appearing in 13 games with six starts at left guard. He was the first freshman to start on Stanford's offensive line in four seasons, and the offense had several strong rushing performances with him in the lineup with three games ranking in the top 10 in single-game rushing yards.

From that point on, Herbig was a mainstay of Stanford's offensive line and helped the program's offense put together multiple historic performances. The unit put up 656 total yards against Rice in 2017, which ranked as the seventh-most in school history. Herbig started the entire season and was an All-Pac-12 selection for his efforts.

Herbig entered the 2018 season with high expectations, as he was named to preseason All-American teams and preseason watch lists. He didn't disappoint, either; he protected quarterback K.J. Costello while he put up the second-most passing yards in school history and earned a Second Team All-Pac-12 selection.

5. He's "ready to rock."

Herbig doesn't like to make predictions about what he's going to accomplish in a season, so you won't hear him predicting that he's going to start or anything of the sort.

Here's what we do know, though: he's excited to be with the Commanders in 2025.

Herbig said he felt wanted by the Commanders, who need depth on the offensive line as a result of Sam Cosmi's injury and losing other players in free agency. Herbig can offer that, as he is now one of the most experienced offensive linemen on the roster. He promised that he is "going to show up every day and do the best that I can" to help improve his group with whatever opportunities come his way.

And when it comes to his injury, Herbig cracked a smile before saying, "I'm ready to rock," Herbig said.