2024 – *Senior
• Returns for his sixth and final season in 2024
• Has played in 44 career games with 35 straight starting assignments
• Outland Trophy Watch List
• Reese’s Senior Bowl Bowl Watch List
• Preseason Fourth Team All-SEC (Athlon)
• Preseason Third Team All-SEC (Coaches, Phil Steele)

2023 – Senior (Team Captain)
• Second Team All-SEC (Coaches)
• Named one of seven permanent team captains for the season
• Started in all 13 games in 2023, starting at right guard in the first three games before moving back to center vs. Vanderbilt (played center in 2022)
• Earned SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week for the EKU game after playing every offensive snap and grading out at 86 percent by the coaches … Did not allow a quarterback pressure or sack and incurred no penalties at both the right guard and center positions
• Reese’s Senior Bowl Watch List
• Preseason SEC Media Days Third-Team Offense
• Preseason Coaches All-SEC Football Third-Team Offense
• Named to SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll

2022 – Junior
• Named to the Frank G. Ham Society of Character which honors Wildcats who have shown an extraordinary commitment to academic excellence, athletic participation, personal development, career preparation and serving as a role model
• Outland Trophy Watch List
• Named to the Comeback Player of the Year Award Watch List
• Started at center in all 13 games

2021 – Sophomore
• Midseason All-American (ESPN, AP)
• Started at right guard in the first nine games of the season before suffering a season-ending hand injury vs. Tennessee
• Named SEC Co-Offensive Line Player of the Week in helping UK pile up 330 rushing yards in the win over LSU … Played every offensive snap and graded at 91 percent … Led the offensive line with seven knockdown blocks and had 15 blocks at the point of attack, including • Will Levis’ quarterback sneak for a touchdown … Did not have any missed assignments and did not allow any quarterback sacks or pressures
• Earned his first career start vs. ULM
• Recovered a fumble in the end zone vs. Missouri, giving him his first career score
• Also recovered a fumble at South Carolina

2020 – r-Freshman
• Back up at left guard behind Kenneth Horsey
• Saw action in eight games
• Named to SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll

2019 – Freshman
• Redshirt season
• Saw his first collegiate action vs. UT Martin
• Mid-year enrollee

High School
• A three-star recruit by 247sports.com and Rivals.com
• Ranked as the No. 14 Kentucky prospect in the class of 2019 by 247Sports
• Has the versatility to play at either offensive guard or tackle
• Has been instrumental in West Jessamine improving its win total each season of his prep career
• Named to the Blue-Grey All-American Bowl watch list
• Represented West Jessamine at the Louisville vs. Bluegrass Senior All-Star Game
• Coached by John Gilliam
• Chose UK over Cincinnati, Marshall, Ohio and Toledo

Community Cats
• Volunteered at Rosewood Elementary (2020)
• Volunteered at LexCity Church and Florence Baptist Church (2020)
• Volunteered for a weekend of service in Harlan County, Ky., with other UK student-athletes, where he worked with nonprofit organizations Willing Hearts and Club 180 Ministry, and also helped the Harlan County Youth Football League with various projects
• Participated in the Fellowship of Christian Athlete’s Men’s Conference at Southland Christian (2020)

Personal
• Born in Nicholasville, Kentucky
• Son of John and Katherine Cox
• Got married in January of ’24 to Lauryn Willis
• Siblings are Avery and Ellie
• Graduated in May of ’22 with a degree in integrated strategic communication with a business minor … Currently working on a graduate certificate in sport, fitness and recreation management and is on track to earn that in December of ’24
• One of three representatives for UK football on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) for the fourth straight year (2021-24) … Also elected to the SEC Football Leadership Council in 2022-23 and 2023-24 … Elected chair of the Leadership Council in 2023-24

Eli Says
• He chose Kentucky because he wanted to represent his state
• His hidden talent is his photoshop skills
• His dream job is to go into sports broadcasting
• One word to describe him on the field is “aggressive”
• If he could create a holiday he would call it “National Super Bowl Monday” and everyone would have the day off after the Super Bowl

News

Nine Wildcats on Athlon’s Preseason All-America, All-SEC Teams

Football
February 1, 2024

Eli Cox to Represent Kentucky at SEC Football Leadership Council This Weekend

Football
December 5, 2023

Four Wildcats Earn Coaches’ All-SEC Honors

Football
September 11, 2023

Eli Cox Earns SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week

Football
August 23, 2023

Kentucky Boasts 11 on Reese’s Senior Bowl Watch List

Football
August 22, 2023

Three Wildcats Named Preseason Coaches All-SEC

Eli Cox, Octavious Oxendine on Comeback Player of the Year Watch List

Football
August 16, 2022

Big Blue Wall Continuing to Develop in Fall Camp

Football
July 26, 2022

Eli Cox Named to Outland Trophy Watch List