Eli Huggins, Kansas State Football News: Draft Scout Player News

08/09/22 - DT Eli Huggins, rSr/2023, Kansas State

When Eli Huggins posed for photos with his family during Kansas State's senior day festivities ahead of a matchup with Baylor last season, he wasn't expecting to play another football game at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. "I wasn't planning on coming back," Huggins says now. "All the way through the season, even on senior night, I was fully expecting to leave and then hopefully make the leap to the NFL." So why is Huggins still in Manhattan preparing for his fifth year of college football as preseason camp gets underway this week at K-State? Turns out, the allure of playing for the Wildcats as a "super senior" was stronger than he originally expected. Yes, he could have made a run at the NFL after playing four seasons at K-State and piling up 49 tackles along the way. But the more he thought about his options, the 6-foot-5 and 297-pound defensive tackle realized he had unfinished business. "The more I talked with coaches and family and looked at this year's team, the group we have coming back, it just seemed like the best opportunity for me was to come back," Huggins said. "I love Manhattan. It's such a special place. I guess I just wasn't ready to leave yet."

Under normal circumstances, Huggins would not have college eligibility remaining. He has been a student at K-State since 2017. Since then, he has spent one season on the sideline with a redshirt and four more on the field in a purple uniform. But one of those seasons occurred during the coronavirus pandemic, which didn't count against his five-year clock. That gave him the opportunity to return to K-State for a rare sixth season as a "super senior." "It was a Christmas present, man," defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman said. "He means the world to us as a player, but also a leader. He is a guy who can come in here and show future generations of Cats how to get it done. We are happy to have him." - The Kansas City Star

rSr/2023