Florida's Elijhah Badger Ends Draft Fall

Badger, however, arrived to the league with flaws. He showed up with a thinner frame compared to most of his wideout peers. Badger ran "lackadaisical" routes at times as Zierlein described. He's also not much of a blocker. 

Badger never started his college career in Gainesville either. The South Sacramento native committed to Arizona State for the 2020 class. Badger rose to four-star status by 247Sports and was the nation's third-ranked overall athlete. He even received Richard Sherman comparisons by national recruiting director Brandon Huffman. 

"Originally a receiver in one of the most dynamic offenses in the West, Badger could be a high-level offensive prospect. His plus size, speed and ball skills make him a potentially elite defensive back," Huffman wrote in his evaluation. "Has good length and instincts, tremendous hands from his receiver background, breaks well on the ball and can bump, press and play off. Could play a boundary corner or field corner role while also having the centerfield ability to play safety." 

He signed with the Sun Devils before the COVID-19 pandemic. Former Sun Devils assistants Prentice Gill and Jamar Cain recruited him to Tempe. Both coached under former head coach Herman Edwards -- who eventually got fired in Sept. 2022 amid controversial recruiting violations. 

Badger, however, remained at ASU as Kenny Dillingham took over the program. He committed to Florida in May 2024. He leaves "The Swamp" catching 39 passes for 806 yards and scored four touchdowns -- all while averaging 20.7 yards per catch.