Elijah Culp: Path To The NFL Draft

By Simon Carroll

Elijah Culp’s road to the NFL has not taken the easy route. From being overlooked at high school, to navigating the uncertainty of the transfer portal, coaching changes, and seasons spent waiting for another chance, his career has been defined as much by obstacles as by opportunity. Yet at every turn, the setbacks that might have stalled others instead sharpened Culp’s resolve. Each challenge became another layer in the foundation of the player he is today—more disciplined, more knowledgeable, and more determined. Now, as the draft approaches, Culp’s journey stands as a testament to how adversity, when met with relentless belief and work, can forge growth as powerful as any natural talent. The former James Madison CB sits down with Simon Carroll to discuss his path to the NFL Draft:

Full Focus On Football

Growing up in Charlotte, North Carolina, Elijah Culp was exposed to sport from an early age. He and his siblings have all grown to embrace the gridiron, but Elijah’s path could have been very different had it not been for some fatherly advice: 

“My mom is a mortgage broker, my pops, he’s a barber. Sports were huge in our household; me and my two brothers, we played everything. And it’s funny, because at first basketball was my true love. But my father said to me ‘you got that dog mentality, so let’s stick with football’. And so I really started taking football seriously in the ninth grade; I wasn’t tall enough for basketball, so it just made sense. I cut off every other sport and poured everything into football from that moment on.”

Eventually, Culp would turn that passion into a strong high school career. Attending Mallard Creek High in Charlotte, the feisty cornerback had to overcome some early doubts before being able to suit up for the Mavericks:

“My whole career I’ve been the underdog. Even at high school some of my coaches didn’t think I could make it – I was 5’7” back then, and so getting on the field was tough. But when I did get on I brought that dog mentality, and they couldn’t take me off! So really I only started playing varsity in the 11th grade. And then by my Junior year I started to see the hard work pay off. It took some time to get there, but I reached the top – as a senior I had 26 pass breakups. You just don’t see that. But my body grew as my game got better – we had a great strength coach at Mallard Creek called Lil’ Jon. He instilled in me a dedication to the weight room that I carry to this day.”

"I Put It On Myself"

Blossoming into one of the best cornerbacks in the state, Elijah Culp defied expectations with the Mavericks. Those 26 pass breakups were complimented with a pair of interceptions as Culp was named to the I-Meck 4A All-Conference team, and invited to participate in two prestigious All-Star games. Despite the strides made, the on-field success wasn’t matched with a commensurate level of interest from college programs. Instead of feeling sorry for himself, Culp decided to take ownership of the situation as best he could:

“Recruiting was tough. I wasn’t particularly supported by my head coach as I would have hoped, and half of the recruiting process is about marketing yourself. I wasn’t doing much of that, I was just balling out on the field and I thought that would get me some attention. But I really only saw interest as a senior; I had four FCS offers, which I was grateful for. And as the state playoffs rolled round there was some interest from teams in the Sun Belt; I figured if we hadn’t been knocked out in the first round more might have come my way. That was big for me; I knew I was being under-recruited. So I just went full throttle with what I had. I put it on myself – help from others is great, but if it isn’t there you need that independent mindset to go and get it on your own.”

Despite not getting the recruiting experience he deserved, Culp did have four options. A scholarship offer is not to be dismissed, regardless of the level it comes from, and one school in particular stood out from the rest:

“I remember it vividly; I was sitting in Blaze Pizza in February, and I got my first call from Austin Peay. I had never talked to the school before so it was a surprise. But they told me they had been keeping an eye on me, thought I would be a great fit for them, and offered me on that call there and then. It was a big moment for me; it was a level of faith in my ability that I really appreciated and perhaps hadn’t had before. That confidence gave me confidence to finish my high school career strong and be ready for the next level. Out of those who offered me, Austin Peay felt like the perfect fit.”

Culp headed eight hours East to Clarksville, Tennessee to embark on his college career. It would get off to an auspicious start as a worldwide pandemic through the college football calendar into disarray – but when Culp got his first chance to shine, he took it:

“That first year at Austin Peay was a wild one! First, COVID meant we had a Spring season; we played three games and then the regular schedule was shut down. But my first start came when the starter got sick; he was throwing up and couldn’t play. I stepped in, and had two interceptions in the first quarter on back-to-back drives. After that, I became a regular contributor, and played in all nine games as a freshman. I just needed that opportunity, and I took it.”

Alabama Adversity

Elijah Culp is a confident young man. And if he needed any validation at all regarding his ability to play college football, his one year at Austin Peay gave him just that. Those two picks were backed up by 22 tackles as he established himself as a key contributor for the Governors, despite being a true freshman. Determined to show he could play at an even higher level, Culp entered the transfer portal – and the FBS offer that had eluded him as a high school recruit finally came his way:

“I was initially committed to North Dakota State! But obviously I’ve always had that chip on my shoulder, and I knew I needed to prove that I could play at the highest level. So when Troy offered me, I couldn’t turn down the FBS. Whether I made the right decision at that time I don’t know; I was eighteen, not as mature as I am now. And obviously Troy didn’t work out as I wanted it to. But looking back now where I am today, I wouldn’t change a thing – adversity is part of the journey, and has got me to this point as much as the success has.”

No football journey is smooth sailing. Despite having to prove some doubters wrong, Culp had thrived at every step of his career to this point. And things began on a similar trajectory at his new home in the south of Alabama. But the Trojans changed their coaching staff after the 2021 season, and Culp learned an important lesson the hard way:

“Things started well. I played in all 12 games that first year under Coach Lindsey and I brought that production from Austin Peay with me. But in the second year, me and the new coach didn’t see eye to eye. He wanted me to play a certain way, I thought differently, and I was benched. I was headstrong; I thought I was doing a good job, making plays, so what was the problem? I couldn’t understand it from his perspective, but since then I’ve grown a lot. Looking back, I barely knew the playbook, and I totally understand now why he benched me – I could have been at the level I am now much earlier. It was probably the toughest moment of my career, but it helped me have that lightbulb moment I needed.”

Charlotte Restart

Elijah Culp would only make two total tackles for the Trojans in 2022. Ready for a fresh start, he was able to lean on the production he recorded as a redshirt freshman the year before, where he started ten of twelve games and had 29 tackles and an interception. It was enough to attract the attention of his hometown team Charlotte, who had brought in Biff Poggi as head coach and were aggressively upgrading the roster. After a year riding the pine at Troy, NCAA rules meant Culp would have to wait to contribute to the 49ers – but when it was time to go, he made sure he was ready:

“That year in Charlotte was where it all clicked. It was there I started to go up and never go down. We had this coach, Coach Oz, who opened my mind to all the intricacies of the game. We had a football school, which broke down formations, personnel, motions, adjustments. It opened my eyes to a whole new side of the game I hadn’t mastered, and it allowed me to take my game to the next level. I had to sit out a year because it was my second transfer and I didn’t get a waiver, and after my experience at Troy that was tough. But I just worked on myself, did everything I could on the scout team despite knowing I wouldn;t be playing on Saturday. I basically elevated myself that whole year, and it paid off when I finally got on the field.”

Elijah Culp was back to being the shutdown corner he knew he was capable of. 26 solo tackles in ten games shows the trust Poggi had in Culp, a coach that Elijah describes as ‘a real people person’. Two years back home had seen the cornerback get his career back on track, and with just one year of eligibility remaining Culp knew it was his final chance to further furnish a resume worthy of NFL consideration. Entering the portal for a third time, he was keen to learn lessons from the past amidst interest from across the country:

“I was rolling. I gave up just two double moves in the whole of 2024. And I knew I had one more season to become the best version of myself, so it was a huge decision. I was the number one corner in the January portal, and I had a lot of attention. Kansas State was one I was close to joining, and I wanted to go to a Power Four school so bad – again to prove to myself I could do it, that I should have been there all along. But that thought process hadn’t always worked, and I knew I needed to think of everything before making a decision. I can’t go off logos alone. What was best for me? Which coach is going to understand me as a person, harness my passion and advocate for me as I work towards an NFL career? I felt that James Madison offered me all of that and more. And obviously God has a plan, everything has a reason, and it was the perfect fit.”

Dominating With The Dukes

It takes a lot of conviction to eschew a Power 4 school for a team in the Sun Belt, particularly in today’s era of NIL and the financial benefits one can enjoy from being a member of a prestigious football program. There were offers from the Big Ten, the SEC, Big 12 and ACC, alluding to his growth as both a player and a person. But ultimately it was the relationships that Culp valued the most. And in Bob Chesney, he found a coach that would give him the environment he needed to thrive:

“Coach Chesney, he lets you be yourself. A lot of coaches don’t like that, they want to stick you in a box and think you should say and do certain things. But Coach was different. He’d treat you as an individual, almost like a member of his family. When I first got there, he sent me a picture of him and his family on a boat and told me to go and hang out with them! And he’s messaged me on the daily right through this process. That attitude works; he has won wherever he’s been, and he’s going to win at UCLA too. It might take a year or two, but he’s going to win over there for sure.”

Culp comes across as an extrovert; someone who is comfortable talking about himself and honest about the kind of person he is. There is an eagerness within him that, by his own admission, needed to be channeled. But his appetite to learn and get better has never been in question, even if it did cause some friction earlier in his career. 

“In the past, I might have been a nuisance to coaches because I ask a lot of questions. It wasn’t to challenge them, I’m just very intentional and detailed with my work. If I don’t understand something, I’ll ask why. I don’t think you respond the same if you don’t know why you’re doing something. If a coach can tell me ‘we’re doing this because of X, Y & Z’ I’m going to listen. That’s me being coachable. I want to know everything so I can help the team. As I’ve grown as a person I’ve learned how to do that better. And working with coaches like Coach Poggi and Coach Chesney, they encourage it. I thrive in that environment.”

The fertile ground that Bob Chesney offered Culp at James Madison helped the cornerback deliver the best season of his career in 2025, both individually and as a contributor to his team. 46 tackles helped the Dukes win the Sun Belt and earn a spot in the College Football Playoffs, where Culp recorded an interception as JMU went down valiantly 51-34 to Oregon. Culp suggests it was a newfound dedication to film study that allowed him to add another level to his game:

“James Madison was a true blessing. I had played 2,000 snaps the year before in Charlotte, and I’d learned the value of attention to detail. But at JMU, the film room became my home. I’d come in on Sunday and I’d watch my own film from the day before on PFF. I’d then spend two hours on our next opponent, then when the next week comes I’m in there fully locked in, going through it with a fine-tooth comb; Monday I’m watching first down, Tuesday second down, Wednesday third down. It was addictive – those little things you learn from tape, when you see them on gameday and you react to them and make a play, it’s an incredible feeling. Getting ahead of quarterback signals, motions, alignments, it allows you to be ready for whatever comes your way. I was meticulous.”

#TechSticky

A veteran now of more than one hundred draft prospect interviews, I can honestly say that none have displayed a passion for football quite like Elijah Culp did in our thirty minutes together. It seems his last two years have given him a fresh perspective on the game, and he is so keen to express his knowledge and appreciation of the finer nuances it’s sometimes hard to keep up. Trying to pin him down a little, I ask him which moment was more memorable, the interception in the playoffs (which he says he ‘manifested all week’), or beating former team Troy in the Sun Belt championship. A man who embraces extra motivation, perhaps his answer was predictable:

“Ah man! That’s tough. I would probably say the conference title game, because it got me a ring. I won a ring at Troy too, but I didn’t really contribute that year and I didn’t feel like I’d earned it, but this time it was different. There weren’t many of the coaches on their team from my time there, but some staff and players were. And they were trash talking me, saying I couldn’t get a game for them, conveniently forgetting I had started there as a redshirt freshman. I just laughed to myself, added it to the chip on my shoulder, and showed them what I was about. Contributing to my team like that to win a conference was a proud moment.”

Culp did more than contribute. His nine tackles and a pass breakup effectively held the Trojan’s offense to just two scores, in a revenge game that was so sweet it ranks higher on his achievements than playing in the playoffs. A big factor in his success is his proficiency in man coverage, being relied on by the Dukes to effectively erase boundary receivers without the need for safety help. It’s a skill Culp has honed over a six year college career, and one he’s determined to pass on to others:

“A big thing for me is giving back. I mentor kids now; I’ve got 35 people in my iMessage, and have a Discord I’ve started up. Some guys drive down from Louisville, others from South Carolina coming to train with me for free. I understand the value of having unconditional support and how it can be the difference between success and failure. Some of them are now freshmen in college and still coming to work out with us. And we’ve got this mantra that we call ‘Tech Sticky’, which is exactly as it sounds. I’ve made a career off being a pest in man coverage, literally stuck to the receiver. And you get to stay in position like that through technique. So we preach those fundamentals, and even if you allow the catch, or don’t get a pick or a PBU, you’re always there fighting for the ball and disrupting. We’re trying to come up with a celebration for it right now. But that’s a work in progress!”

All-Star Recognition

After finishing his college career with a flourish, Elijah Culp now turns his attention to the NFL. Playing professional football was a childhood dream as it is for many young boys in America, but only really entered his consciousness as a realistic opportunity after his junior year in Charlotte. Culp’s performances the last two seasons got attention, and he was recently invited to the American Bowl All-Star game to show what he can do in front of 250 NFL scouts:

“The American Bowl was a good experience. On the field, I brought the same attitude as I did in the playoffs against Oregon; I was there on merit, belonged, and I was fully locked in on the work. So in that regard, you kind of get lost in the focus, and not too aware of who’s in the crowd watching you. So it was play by play from day one, staying ‘Tech Sticky’, and I did a good job. There was one play where I tried to jam up the guy, didn’t trust my speed and I allowed a catch that still irritates me when I think about it. But it felt good to compete, and to express yourself to NFL scouts. The meetings were more about understanding your journey and your character, and I was able to show who I am to them.”

Culp displays a conviction in his abilities he has earned through laser-focus preparation and execution on gameday, and it allows him to shut out the noise of a draft process that can become intoxicating to some and exhausting to others. Focusing on the finer details has got him this far, and is how he’s approaching his Pro Day at James Madison, scheduled for March 26th:

“You get a lot of feedback from teams, and I talked to 17 of them in Florida. I’m close with one of them for sure, I’ve been sending him my tape and we keep in contact. But I’ve heard stories where a lot of guys get drafted by teams who never even spoke to them in the process! So it’s a case of showing everyone what you’ve got this next few weeks in the build up to my Pro Day. I’m training hard out in South Carolina, getting ready to show them all I can be a three down player at any spot in the secondary and be a dog on special teams. I got speed, I’m strong – I’m gonna hit 20 plus on the bench. All the drills are important, but when it comes to talking to them I want to blow them away with my knowledge. I understand this game on a whole different level.”

"If There's Extra Motivation To Be Had, I'll Use It"

As Elijah Culp shares his football journey with me, in the background on his widescreen television the NFL Combine is in full flow. The power that Culp yields from not being invited to such events is exactly the same as it was at high school when he was told he was too small, or as a recruit when he was overlooked by the bigger programs. It feeds the chip that takes pride of place on his shoulder, a tool that Culp has used to good effect:

“I can’t control certain situations. I can’t make myself be invited to the Senior Bowl or the NFL Combine. All I can do is take care of what’s in front of me, like my Pro Day. But those snubs are fuel for sure. That’s why I’m watching it – to fire myself up and push myself to greater things. I see a guy run a fast forty, and I know I can do it faster. Somebody has a good vertical, and I know I can go higher. That’s just the way I’m built – if there’s extra motivation to be had, I’ll use it.”

There’s a difference between assuredness and overconfidence, and Culp sits on the right side of that line. His self-awareness has been earned through a career that has had as much adversity as it has success, and despite his gregarious nature Culp showed humility to change his approach to football in order to grow. There’s a veteran feel to the future NFL rookie that will stand him in good stead when he competes at the next level:

“I’ve become a consistent, disciplined football player. I have high standards off the field that leads to high performance on it. That’s something I pride myself on now – you know exactly what you’ll get from me every day I walk through the door. I’m a high-IQ guy with a team-first mentality and the skills to execute at a high level. The playbook, the film study – the things other people hate, I embrace. And I’m only at the beginning too – look how far I’ve come the last two years. I’m excited to see how far I can push myself.”

It takes just one team to change the life of a draft prospect. In a parallel universe somewhere, there is an Elijah Culp who had a smoother ride to this point and might be expecting his name to be called on Day 1. Our version of Elijah Culp does not share that expectation, but his own journey has undoubtedly forged something invaluable inside him. And that phone call – no matter when it comes over draft weekend – will be just as momentous for him and those closest to him:

“Man, it would mean a lot. My family has been very supportive of me, helped me chase my dreams through four different schools. And reaching the NFL would change a lot of people’s lives, and it would definitely change ours. So I feel like everybody; me, my mom, pops, brothers, would all be very emotional when that call comes. They obviously know how much I’ve invested in this and I know what they’ve put in too. It would be a dream come true.”

Mock Draft

SIMON CARROLL

HEAD OF CFB/NFL DRAFT CONTENT

PREVIOUSLY THE FOUNDER OF NFL DRAFT UK, SIMON HAS BEEN COVERING COLLEGE FOOTBALL AND THE NFL DRAFT SINCE 2009. BASED IN MANCHESTER, SIMON IS ALSO CO-CREATOR & WEEKLY GUEST OF THE COLLAPSING POCKET PODCAST, IS A COLLEGE FOOTBALL WRITER FOR DAZN AND COVERS THE JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS FOR SB NATION.

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A huge thank you to Elijah for taking the time to talk to us. Everyone at The Touchdown wishes him well in his future career.