Open Announce
University of New Mexico Lobos athletics
Eli Sanders - Football - University of New Mexico Lobos Athletics

Eli Sanders

Position

RB

Height

5-11

Weight

194 lbs.

Class

Jr.

Hometown

Oceanside, Calif.

Previous School

Iowa State/Chandler [Ariz.] HS

EXP

TR

Pronunciation:  E lie SAND erss

Iowa State:  Lettered two seasons at Iowa State (2022 and 2023) and redshirted a third (2021) … played in 21 games, rushing 158 times for 703 yards and four touchdowns with a long of 43 yards … also caught 15 passes for 135 yards and a touchdown … had his best season in 2023 rushing for 477 yards on 102 rushes with four touchdowns and he caught five passes for 43 yards with a touchdown … had a career-high 99 yards against TCU on 16 carries with a touchdown … had his first career touchdown against Oklahoma State, part of a 58-yard rushing day … also caught two passes in the game … had 90 yards on 14 carries against Baylor … had back-to-back 57-yard rushing days with a touchdown against No. 22 Kansas and BYU … in 2022 he finished off the season with 91 yards on just seven carries against TCU … had a career-long 43-yard run … twice had two receptions in a game, catching two for 14 yards against Southeast Missouri State and two for 25 yards against Texas Tech … played just four games in 2021, earning a redshirt … had a career-high three catches against Iowa, gaining 41 yards.

High School:  Lettered in football at Chandler High School in Arizona … first team all-state selection in 2020 … led team to a state title and perfect season (10-0) as a senior … ran for 1,377 yards, averaging 7.5 yards per carry … also had team-high 23 touchdowns … finalist for the 2020 Ed Doherty Award … grew up in California … competed four seasons in Arizona, playing two years at Mountain Pointe before transferring to Chandler as a junior … despite missing the first half of the season because of transfer rules, rushed for 643 yards and 10 touchdowns as a junior to lead team to state championship … had 878 rushing yards and 11 total touchdowns as a sophomore … member of a pair of 4X100 state champion relay teams (2019, 2021) … four-star recruit by Rivals and a three-star by 247Sports … ranked as the No. 32 running back nationally and seventh-best player in Arizona by Rivals … picked as the No. 34 athlete nationally by 247Sports.

Personal:  Birthday is February 19, 2003 … majoring in liberal arts and integrated studies.