Ole Miss one of several schools to reach out to transfer portal’s top wide receiver Elijhah Badger
Ole Miss currently has the No. 3 overall NCAA Transfer Portal class, per On3’s team rankings. The Rebels recently added Houston cornerback Isaiah Hamilton, but could be in line to add more sooner rather than later. Lane Kiffin is always looking for ways to add talent to an already loaded roster. And on Friday, On3’s Hayes Fawcett reported the Rebels have reached out to Arizona State wide receiver Elijhah Badger.
He’s heard from 20 schools since entering the portal. On3’s Pete Nakos reports Badger will soon take trips to Florida and Arizona “sometime in the near future”. The top available wide receiver in the portal has already taken a visit to Washington.
In 2023, Badger hauled in 65 receptions for 713 yards and three touchdowns. His outing came in a 27-24 loss to Colorado where he made 12 catches for 134 yards.
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The year prior, Elijhah Badger was a playmaker for the Sun Devils.
Then, he had 70 receptions for 866 yards, and seven touchdowns. Once again, he torched the Colorado secondary, hauling in eight catches for 137 yards. He again had his season-high in receiving yards both against the Buffaloes. The 6-foot-2, 190 pound prospect made eight catches for 137 yards in a 42-34 win.
He led Folsom to the California State Championship in the Division 1-AA in 2018.
As a high school player, Badger amassed 183 receptions for 3,398 yards and 52 touchdowns in three seasons. As a senior, he posted 79 receptions for 1,386 yards and 20 touchdowns. Badger caught 55 passes for 1,113 yards and 20 touchdowns as a junior. He also scored six career touchdowns on kick or punt returns and had a pick-six. In his final two seasons, Badger totaled 956 kickoff return yards and 417 punt return yards.
Arizona State Sun Devils wide receiver Elijhah Badger (2) makes a touchdown catch against the Oklahoma State Cowboys in the first half at Mountain America Stadium in Tempe on Sept. 9, 2023.
It’s easy to see why Ole Miss is interested in Elijhah Badger.
The California prospect is a yards after the catch monster. Despite catching passes from different quarterbacks during his time in Tempe, he has made the most of it. 1,640 and 10 touchdown receptions later and he is one of the top players left in the portal heading into the 2024 season.
One thing about his game is his ability to create separation with superb route running. When you turn on the tape, you see a player who is skillful when it comes to making catches in traffic and finishing through contact. Kiffin has made a living off speedy playmakers in the slot. Ole Miss signed Juice Wells at the end of 2023 and bring back returners Tre Harris, Jordan Watkins, Cayden Lee and Ayden Williams. But, as we have grown accustomed to seeing via the portal, the Ole Miss head coach believes you can never have too much talent.
It remains to be seen if Badger will take a visit to Oxford, Miss., or not. Guess we will find out in the coming weeks.
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