NOTE: Kansas State has elected to advance players’ classification even though the 2020 season did not affect eligibility. Those who wish to take advantage of this extra year will be listed as a (“super”) senior again after their original eligibility would have been exhausted.

#92 Eli Huggins

Redshirt Super Senior | 6-4 | 297 lbs. | Cumming, Georgia

Courtesy Kansas State Athletics

• Position: Defensive Tackle
• Previous College: None
• Projection: Starter
• Status: On Scholarship

Eli David Huggins (b. July 29, 1998) is a very experienced defensive tackle who is returning for his extra season of eligibility in 2022 after earning two different degrees at Kansas State, including a master’s degree in business administration that he received in December 2021.

Huggins enrolled early at K-State and participated in 2017 spring practices, a process known as “grayshirting.”

This tough interior lineman used his first year in the program to develop and played in one game as a reserve defensive tackle in 2018, recording a single tackle against UTSA.

Huggins then saw action in six games in 2019 as a reserve defensive tackle, collecting five stops and a tackle for loss.

He had a career-high two tackles against Bowling Green and Oklahoma State, recording his tackle for loss against the former, and also earned second-team Academic All-Big 12 honors.

Huggins was an eight-game starter at defensive tackle in 2020, earning starting duties for the first time in his career. His only two missed starts came due to injury setbacks.

Huggins came into the pandemic season with six career tackles and a tackle for loss in seven games, but tallied 22 stops, six tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks last year. He also set a career high with two tackles for loss against Oklahoma State.

Huggins had a career-high four tackles at Baylor, which included a tackle for loss; recorded his first career sack against Arkansas State, as he teamed with Drew Wiley to become the first pair of K-State interior defensive linemen with sacks in the same game since 2017; and finished the shortened season as a first-team Academic All-Big 12 performer.

In 2021, he started all 13 games, totaling 21 tackles, six tackles for loss and three sacks en route to honorable mention All-Big 12 honors from the league’s coaches.

Huggins tallied a season-high three tackles against Nevada, West Virginia and LSU. His contest against the Mountaineers included a season-best 1.5 tackles for loss and a sack.

He also tallied sacks against Stanford and Texas, and again earned first-team Academic All-Big 12 accolades following the 2021 season.

Before arriving at K-State, Huggins was a four-year letter-winner for West Forsyth High School under head coaches Adam Clark and Frank Hepler, helping the Wolverines to advance to three state playoff appearances.

Huggins was named the 21st-best strongside defensive end in the Class of 2017 by 247Sports and was an All-Southeast Region pick by PrepStar.

He picked up honorable mention all-state honors from the Georgia Sports Writers Association as a junior in 2015, and also earned first-team all-county and all-region accolades. He was named to the all-county first team by The Forsyth County News.

Huggins totaled 217 tackles in his career, including 80 tackles and 11 sacks as a junior en route to the school’s single-season sack record. He totaled 31 tackles for loss and 20 sacks.

Huggins also was a member of his high school’s fishing team, placing third at the state championship in 2013 and fourth in 2014.

His brother, Jake Huggins, is a redshirt junior fullback for the Wildcats.