Running back, Louisiana, 2017–⁠20

Elijah Mitchell

Number
No. 15
Height
5′11″
Weight
218 lb
Class (2020)
Senior
Hometown
Erath, LA
Born
May 2, 1998, in Erath, Louisiana

Wikipedia readers: about 3,532 a month over the past year

Elijah Mitchell played running back at Louisiana (2017–⁠20). The San Francisco 49ers took Mitchell in round 6, No. 194 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft.

At a glance

Best season
1,147
Rushing yards, 2019 (Louisiana, 11–⁠3)
Best game
164 yards
At Georgia State, week 3, 2020: No. 3 rushing game in FBS that week
Drafted
No. 194
Round 6, 2021 NFL Draft (San Francisco 49ers)

Career highs

191rushing yards, career highat Texas State, 20183rushing touchdowns, career highfour times; last at Ohio, 20196catches, career highvs. Arkansas State, 2018121receiving yards, career highvs. Arkansas State, 2018

Team titles: Sun Belt champions, 2020

Rushing

Rushing yards, season by season, with his team’s record
SeasonTeamCarYdsAvgTDLong
2017Louisiana422576.1436
2018Louisiana1459776.71365
2019Louisiana1981,1475.81644
2020Louisiana1418786.2859
Career5263,2596.24165

Receiving

SeasonTeamRecYdsAvgTDLong
2017Louisiana3258.3119
2018Louisiana2034917.4364
2019Louisiana10707.0131
2020Louisiana161539.6036
Career4959712.2564

Returns

SeasonTeamKRYdsTD
2020Louisiana5820

Season lines from CollegeFootballData, regular season and bowls.

On the roster

SeasonTeamNo.PosClassHtWt
2017Louisiana15RBFr.
2018Louisiana15RBSo.
2019Louisiana15RBJr.
2020Louisiana15RBSr.5′11″218

As each season’s roster listed the player (CollegeFootballData). Classes before the latest listing are counted back from it; “Yr 1” is the year on file where that count can’t place a season he played (a redshirt, transfer or 2020 year); height and weight as last listed.

Per play

SeasonTeamPlaysEPA/playPctileMedianTotalUsageAdj. rush
2017Louisiana360.25––8.911%–
2018Louisiana1680.4799th (n=300)0.1579.820%0.38
2019Louisiana2220.3093rd (n=287)0.1367.322%0.29
2020Louisiana1610.2886th (n=212)0.1444.324%0.28

Expected points added: how much the player’s plays moved the team’s expected score, per play and in total. Plays: total EPA divided by EPA per play, the plays the source credits to him (for a receiver roughly his catches and runs, not every target; for a passer, not every attempt), so it can differ from attempts plus carries. Percentile: against the position’s regulars that season across all divisions on file (quarterbacks with 150+ plays, backs 60+, receivers and tight ends 30+), with how many there were (n) and their median; a dash means too few plays to rank. A season in progress uses the full-season bar scaled by games played, never below 75 plays for quarterbacks, 30 for backs and 20 for receivers. The cohort grows or shrinks with the source’s coverage each season (2025 lists far more players), so compare percentiles rather than raw EPA across years. FCS seasons are marked. Usage: the share of the team’s plays the player was part of (shown from 20 plays). Adjusted pass and rush: EPA per play adjusted for the defenses faced (CollegeFootballData’s WEPA). From CollegeFootballData, 2013 on.

Game by game

2020 Louisiana 10 games, 878 rushing yards, 8 TD
DateOpponentResultCarYdsTDLongRecRec yds
Sep 12atIowa StateW 31–⁠14846019222
Sep 19atGeorgia StateW 34–⁠311616425924
Oct 14vs.Coastal CarolinaL 27–⁠30939217111
Oct 23atUABW 24–⁠202167013218
Oct 31atTexas StateW 44–⁠341796014214
Nov 7vs.Arkansas StateW 27–⁠20169014714
Nov 14vs.South AlabamaW 38–⁠10156119120
Nov 28atUL MonroeW 70–⁠208931441−2
Dec 4atApp StateW 24–⁠211295046217
Dec 26 ✦vs.UTSAW 31–⁠2419127129245
2019 Louisiana 14 games, 1,147 rushing yards, 16 TD
DateOpponentResultCarYdsTDLongRecRec yds
Aug 31vs.Mississippi StateL 28–⁠3814311924
Sep 7vs.LibertyW 35–⁠141574112––
Sep 14vs.Texas SouthernW 77–⁠6773223––
Sep 21atOhioW 45–⁠2517143322––
Sep 28atGeorgia SouthernW 37–⁠24148121915
Oct 9vs.App StateL 7–⁠171368022210
Oct 17atArkansas StateW 37–⁠2023109211––
Nov 2vs.Texas StateW 31–⁠3131261391−1
Nov 7atCoastal CarolinaW 48–⁠71052013131
Nov 16atSouth AlabamaW 37–⁠2717117144220
Nov 23vs.TroyW 53–⁠3731112––
Nov 30vs.UL MonroeW 31–⁠3019102016––
Dec 7atApp StateL 38–⁠45188511811
Jan 6 ✦vs.Miami (OH)W 27–⁠171155119––
2018 Louisiana 13 games, 977 rushing yards, 13 TD
DateOpponentResultCarYdsTDLongRecRec yds
Sep 1vs.GramblingW 49–⁠1773409––
Sep 15atMississippi StateL 10–⁠566001124
Sep 22vs.Coastal CarolinaL 28–⁠30543130––
Sep 29atAlabamaL 14–⁠561185040113
Oct 6atTexas StateW 42–⁠2720191364234
Oct 13vs.New Mexico StateW 66–⁠3812107336225
Oct 20atApp StateL 17–⁠271037015247
Oct 27vs.Arkansas StateW 47–⁠434681656121
Nov 10vs.Georgia StateW 36–⁠2219136157116
Nov 17vs.South AlabamaW 48–⁠3812104345223
Nov 24atUL MonroeW 31–⁠281661013239
Dec 1atApp StateL 19–⁠301785019––
Dec 15 ✦vs.TulaneL 24–⁠416261617
2017 Louisiana 5 games, 257 rushing yards, 4 TD
DateOpponentResultCarYdsTDLongRecRec yds
Sep 2vs.SE LouisianaW 51–⁠481156112––
Sep 9atTulsaL 42–⁠66884128119
Sep 16atTexas A&ML 21–⁠455−40316
Sep 23vs.UL MonroeL 50–⁠5613107236––
Oct 7atIdahoW 21–⁠165140610

Box scores from CollegeFootballData, 2004 on. ✦ postseason; ★ a career high on file.

Before the draft

Played in the 2021 Senior Bowl (American team, lost 24–⁠27).

DrillPro day 2021
Height5′10¼″
Weight201 lb
Arm length31″
Hand size9½″
Wingspan75¾″
40-yard dash4.35 s
10-yard split1.51 s
Vertical jump37½″
Broad jump10′8″
Bench press17 reps
3-cone drill6.94 s
20-yard shuttle4.20 s

Pre-draft measurables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA). Rosters and honors: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).

In the NFL

4 seasons, 28 games with a stat; latest team: New England Patriots.

SeasonTeamGCarYdsTDRecRec yds
2021San Francisco 49ers11207963519137
2022San Francisco 49ers545279237
2023San Francisco 49ers11752812614
2025Kansas City Chiefs100000
NFL career283271,523928158

Regular seasons, from nflverse (CC BY 4.0). G counts games in which the player recorded a stat.

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