EP #91

Elijah Ponder

Linebacker · Cal Poly

Cal Poly's first NFL draft pick since 2012 turned an undrafted free-agent tryout into a rookie-year trip to the Super Bowl.

Elijah Ponder arrived in New England as an undrafted rookie out of Cal Poly, a program that hadn't produced an NFL player in over a decade. By the end of his first pro season, the pass-rushing linebacker had carved out a real role in the Patriots' front seven and found himself playing for a championship.

★ First-team All-Big Sky selection in 2023 and 2024

★ 2023 Walter Camp FCS All-American

★ Cal Poly's first NFL player since 2012

★ 4.0 sacks and 2 fumble recoveries as a rookie in 2025

Path to the league

Ponder signed with Cal Poly in 2020 as a two-star recruit out of Bishop Amat High School in La Puente, California. Over four seasons with the Mustangs he racked up 27 career sacks and earned first-team All-Big Sky Conference honors in both 2023 and 2024, along with a Walter Camp FCS All-American nod in 2023. He went unselected in the 2025 NFL Draft and signed with the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent.

Career highlights

Ponder capped his college career with a strong showing at the 2025 East-West Shrine Bowl, recording a sack and two pass breakups. As a rookie, he became just the second Cal Poly product to reach the NFL since 2012, a milestone that drew attention back on the Central Coast.

2025 season recap

Ponder played in 15 regular-season games for New England, posting 24 tackles, four sacks and two fumble recoveries. He carried that role into the postseason, appearing in all four of the Patriots' playoff games and recovering a fumble on the way to Super Bowl LX.