A Rhode Island transfer who became a second-team All-American right tackle at Oregon before an injury-shortened rookie year in Dallas.
Ajani Cornelius took the long way to the NFL, starting his college career at Rhode Island before transferring to Oregon and developing into one of the Big Ten's better tackles. The Cowboys grabbed him in the sixth round of the 2025 draft, though a knee injury cut his rookie season short.
Path to the league
Cornelius starred at Archbishop Stepinac High School in White Plains, New York before committing to Rhode Island, where he started all 22 games over two seasons and earned First Team All-CAA honors in 2022. He transferred to Oregon in December 2022 and started at right tackle for two seasons under Dan Lanning, earning second-team All-America honors in 2024. Dallas selected him with the 204th overall pick in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, acquired via a trade with Detroit.
Career highlights
Cornelius earned Honorable Mention All-Pac-12 in 2023 and Third-team All-Big Ten in 2024 while starting all 14 games for Oregon at right tackle. His steady transition from a small-school program to a Power 4 starting job made him a notable late-round value for Dallas.
2025 season recap
Cornelius appeared in just one game as a rookie without making a start before he was placed on injured reserve on November 17, 2025, with a knee injury that ended his season.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Ajani Cornelius
- ESPN: Ajani Cornelius
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Offensive Tackle
- Group
- offense
- College
- Oregon
- Hometown
- Harlem, NY, USA
- Age
- 24
- Status
- active
