Arizona State wide receiver Elijhah Badger will remain with the Sun Devils for another season after not declaring for the 2024 NFL Draft.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!As expected, ASU WR Elijhah Badger did not declare for the NFL Draft by yesterday’s deadline. He will remain at ASU through at least the spring.
— Chris Karpman (@ChrisKarpman) January 16, 2024
Badger Remains WR1
Badger will be a redshirt senior in the fall and has proven to be the Sun Devils’ top receiver.
He was a four-star prospect coming out of Folsom, California, and received several offers to play Division 1 football. The Sacramento native finished with 3398 receiving yards and 52 touchdowns in his three high school seasons played.
Elijhah Badger with the go ahead touchdown catch with 4:14 to play. Folsom leads Oak Ridge 36-33 @SacBee_JoeD pic.twitter.com/SgdCAKyIJW
— Thomas Frey (@ThomasFreyMP) September 21, 2019
This dominance resulted in the Sun Devils being all over him, leading to him committing in 2020. In each of the last two seasons, Badger has led the team in every receiving category, combining for 135 receptions, 1,653 total yards, and 11 touchdowns during that span.
Drew Pyne connects with Elijhah Badger for the touchdown as ASU goes on to cut the deficit to 24-21 against USC. It's currently 27-21 Trojans. pic.twitter.com/qXiUhGL5aU
— Arizona Sports (@AZSports) September 24, 2023
Not only has he impacted the game offensively, but Badger has shown his elite kick-returning ability as well. In 2023, he returned 20 kicks for 578 yards, which was the most in the Pac-12.
While the Sun Devils have won just six total games over the last two seasons, they are trending in the right direction. Head coach Kenny Dillingham is winning the team and fans over, as they look to make a jump in 2024. Badger will have to take another step and further establish himself as one of the top receivers in the country during his senior season.
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Saleh Awwad is a reporter/writer covering Phoenix High School Sports, Arizona State, and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on X via @SalehAwwad_
