Elijah Collins (born August 1, 2000) is an American football running back for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Michigan State Spartans and for the Oklahoma State Cowboys.
| No. 34 – Cincinnati Bengals | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Running back |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | August 1, 2000 |
| Height: | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
| Weight: | 212 lb (96 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | University of Detroit Jesuit High School and Academy (Detroit, Michigan) |
| College: | Michigan State (2018–2022) Oklahoma State (2023) |
| Undrafted: | 2024 |
| Career history | |
| |
| Roster status: | Active |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Early life and high school
Collins attended high school at the University of Detroit Jesuit High School and Academy. In his junior season, Collins rushed for 721 yards while also hauling in 19 receptions for 306 yards and totaling 19 touchdowns.[1] Coming out of high school, Collins was rated as a three star recruit where he committed to play college football for the Michigan State Spartans.[2][3]
College career
Michigan State
In Collins' first collegiate season in 2018, he played in three games rushing twice for eight yards as he used the season to redshirt.[4] In week one of the 2019 season, Collins would get his first opportunity in game rushing eight times for 17 yards in a win over Tulsa.[5] In week two, Collins got his first career start where he rushed 17 times for 192 yards in a win over Western Michigan.[6] Collins finished his breakout 2019 season rushing 222 times for 988 yards and five touchdowns.[7] Coming off his strong season in 2020, Collins role heavily decreased as he finished the season with just 41 carries for 90 yards.[8] During the 2021 season, Collins missed five games due to an injury and rushed just 18 times for 102 yards.[9] In week five of the 2022 season, Collins rushed for a team high 36 yard and a touchdown versus |Maryland.[10] Collins finished the 2022 season, rushing for 318 yards and six touchdowns on 70 carries, while also hauling in 14 receptions for 93 yards.[11] After the conclusion of the 2022 season, Collins decided to enter his name into the NCAA transfer portal.[12][13]
Oklahoma State
Collins decided to transfer to play for the Oklahoma State Cowboys.[14][15] In Collins lone season with the Cowboys he rushed just 30 times for 142 yards and two touchdowns.[16]
Professional career
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | 212 lb (96 kg) | 31+3⁄8 in (0.80 m) | 9+7⁄8 in (0.25 m) | 4.54 s | 1.62 s | 2.66 s | 4.25 s | 7.10 s | 38 in (0.97 m) | 10 ft 5 in (3.18 m) | 16 reps | |
| All values from Pro Day[17] | ||||||||||||
After not being selected in the 2024 NFL draft, Collins signed with the Cincinnati Bengals as an undrafted free agent.[18][19]