Kansas State Football: Elijah Sullivan Declares For 2021 NFL Draft

Elijah Sullivan announced via twitter that he is forgoing his additional year of eligibility in order to enter the 2021 NFL draft.

Sullivan, a 6’0, 215 pound linebacker out of Tucker Georgia has been a stalwart in the K-State defense over the last two seasons. During his time in Manhattan he racked up 144 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, and is credited with 4 pass break-ups.

His best season as a Wildcat was in 2019. After returning from a torn ACL he suffered in the early part of the 2018 season, Elijah returned to the field with something to prove. He was credited with 65 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 1 sack, and interception, and 4 pass breakups. He was named honorable mention All-Big 12 by Big-12 coaches and was the Liberty Bowl team defensive MVP after an 11 tackle performance against Navy.

In the NFL, Sullivan projects as a box safety because of his size. He’ll need to showcase his versatility in pass coverage and run support in the NFL. His initial ticket to the big leagues may hinge on his willingness and ability to be a special teams demon while he finds his niche in a defense.

I know K-State fans will be pulling hard for his success. He’s given his all to Wildcats.

What It Means for K-State

This won’t come as a surprise for the coaching staff. In fact, they picked up a linebacker with a similar skill set in Utah State transfer Eric Munoz (more on him to come) earlier in the week. When Munoz announced, it was all but certain that Sullivan was going to give the NFL a shot.

HIs versatility and nose for the football will be tough to replace, but such is the life of a college football coach. Landing Munoz should make things easier on Coach Klanderman as he revamps a linebacker group losing two talented, experienced seniors in Justin Hughes and Elijah.