eliJah lagg’s experience creates versatility for blazer te

By Steve Irvine

BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA - August 13, 2025

Elijah Lagg will wear an important part of his football path on his UAB football jersey during his first season with the Blazers.

It takes some explanation but the No. 17 on his UAB jersey has a direct connection to the number he wore at Mountain Home High in Arkansas.

“The reason I wear the number 17 is to remember because I played as 71 in high school,” said the 6-foot-4,240-pound Lagg, who played two seasons at Copiah-Lincoln Community College in Mississippi before coming to UAB in January. “I didn't get to play immediately as tight end in junior college as 17. But I always wanted to kind of work back to that number.”

Lagg always dreamed of playing receiver. He wanted the football in his hands. He wanted to run routes. He wanted to score touchdowns. As he continued to grow, though, that dream changed to becoming a tight end. He asked his high school coaches if he could run some routes. His coaches had a different plan for him. That plan was for Lagg to play offensive tackle. So, that’s what he did.

“I was a gifted blocker and he just believed that it wasn't, I guess, a blight on my athleticism to play tackle,” Lagg said. “He just believed that what was best for the team was to put me at offensive line. You know, as a coach, you got to go with what your gut says. I just went along with what my coach asked me to do.”

For the record, he followed the plan well.  Lagg was a two-time all-state performer while playing offensive line. He didn’t know it at the time, but that also set the foundation for his college football journey at tight end.

“It definitely helps because they understand the big picture things,” said UAB tight end coach Reilly Jeffers. “One of the biggest issues is we need them involved in the run game to make our run game work. We do so much 11 or 12 personnel. We really need them to own that C and D gap off the tackle to really make the run game go. If we don't have that, we don't want to be dropping back 100 times a game. So when they have that (offensive line) mindset of it, it really helps them lean into it.”

Another advantage for Lagg is his wrestling experience. He wrestled throughout high school and won a state championship as a heavyweight during an unbeaten senior season. He often wrestled against much bigger opponents in a division where 285 pounds is the maximum weight.

“It teaches you things that you would otherwise never learn,” Lagg said. “I mean there's balance, there's kind of acrobatic aspects to wrestling as well that just kind of help you throughout athletics. I mean when I'm blocking it's really like a wrestling match to me. I'm trying to gain leverage because any tight end is usually gonna be smaller than who they are blocking. It's a tremendous advantage to know leverage and to be able to work your body in ways that can give you some sort of strategic advantage. It helps me every single day.  I even lean heavily on it in route running. It's kind of funny to say but I've worked on some releases that kind of look like wrestling. There are things called pass-bys and stuff like that I kind of try to work into my route running.”

Before he could do that, though, Lagg had to find a place to play in college. He grew up as a Mississippi State fan and dreamed about playing there. He was offered a walk-on spot as a linebacker after attending a Mississippi State camp. He hadn’t played linebacker but figured he’d give it a shot. However, the more he looked into the opportunity the more he realized how expenses would be a factor. He began marketing himself to colleges as a linebacker, tight end or anywhere they needed a player.

“This school, this guy hits me up, and he says, man, we're super interested in you, you look like a Swiss Army knife,” Lagg said. “I look on his page, he's from Toledo. And I was like, man, this is my big break. He's super interested in me, I'm so excited. Two days before the visit, we're trying (to figure out travel). It's in Ohio and I live in Arkansas. I'm asking him where he's at, and he was like, oh, actually, I'm from Coffeyville Community College. It was like I went from the top of the world to like, oh my gosh, community college.”

It quickly turned out differently than he first imagined.

“It was really interesting how the Lord used that, because it opened my eyes,” Lagg said. “I was like, you know what, this doesn't have to be the end. If I don't get recruited to Division I immediately, I can go to junior college, and I can still continue to grind and make a name for myself.”

He thought he was headed to Coffeyville, which is in Kansas, but a relative suggested he look at Mississippi community college. Soon after he was headed to play tight end at Co-Lin.

Stats don’t necessarily chart his junior college career. He had seven catches in 14 games over two seasons. But he also played a big role in helping the running game be successful on a pair of teams that were combined 15-6.

“Truthfully, most of the time during the games I was I was a blocking guy,” Lagg said. “That was definitely my strength coming out of high school. But every chance I got I was trying to catch the ball and run routes and just expose myself to that more and more. It was weird because I didn't have a tight ends coach at junior college. I bounced in between the offensive line room and the wide receiver room. One day I would go in the offensive line room and another day I would go in the wide receiver room. I was trying to absorb as much knowledge as possible.”

He had recruiting options after junior college. New Mexico State, which still had quarterback Diego Pavia, recruited him. He liked Texas State and UTEP was another option.

“Coach Jeffers, he hit me up out of the blue,” Lagg said. “I came here and this same theme throughout the rest of my story. It just kind of felt something different. I was like, man these guys see something different in me because I didn't catch a lot of balls in junior college. They said they saw some quick twitch route running skills in you.  I believed in the coaching staff and was just like I think this is where the Lord has me. So far, it’s been the best decision I’ve ever made.”

Lagg showed during spring practice and into fall camp that he can play a key role at a tight end position that lost a ton of production from last season. And he’s also shown that the contribution won’t just be his blocking.

“He has exceptional quickness, change of direction,” Jeffers said. “He could be an absolute weapon in the passing game as he continues to learn and round out that skill set. His entire future is in front of him. He's got all the makings to be a great tight end and the right attitude and effort to be a developmental player with a high ceiling.”