A six-year Duke receiver who overcame an injury-lost season to win the Brian Piccolo Award and is now chasing a roster spot with the Colts.
Eli Pancol is an Indianapolis Colts wide receiver who spent six seasons at Duke, developing into one of the program's steadiest targets by the time he left. After going undrafted in 2025 and getting an early look with Jacksonville, he landed with Indianapolis and signed on for 2026.
Path to the league
Pancol grew up in Pendleton, Indiana, and was a four-star recruit at Pendleton Heights High School before committing to Duke, where he played from 2019 through 2024. He went unselected in the 2025 NFL Draft, first signing with the Jacksonville Jaguars before eventually joining the Indianapolis Colts.
Career highlights
Pancol missed the 2023 season with an ankle injury but rebounded in 2024 with 60 receptions for 798 yards and nine touchdowns, highlighted by a five-catch, 188-yard, three-touchdown Senior Night performance against Virginia Tech. That season earned him the Brian Piccolo Award and third-team All-ACC honors, closing out a Duke career that totaled 130 receptions for 1,710 yards and 14 touchdowns across 57 games.
2025 season recap
Pancol signed with Jacksonville as an undrafted free agent but was waived in August roster cuts. He caught on with Indianapolis's practice squad in mid-November 2025 and signed a reserve/futures contract with the Colts in January 2026, positioning him to compete for a receiver spot in 2026.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Eli Pancol
- Indianapolis Colts: Eli Pancol
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Wide Receiver
- Group
- offense
- College
- Duke
- Hometown
- Pendleton, IN, USA
- Age
- 26
- Status
- active
