Former Cal Poly star Elijah Ponder goes from undrafted to the New England Patriots
Former Cal Poly star defensive end Elijah Ponder’s NFL dreams came true on Tuesday when he made the final 53-man roster with the New England Patriots, surviving the final round of cuts.
Ponder signed with New England in April as an undrafted free agent after going unselected in the 2025 NFL Draft.
“HUGE congrats to former Mustang Elijah Ponder on making the @patriots 53-man roster as a rookie!! We can get you ready for the NFL right here in SLO!” Cal Poly football posted on X.
From the start of training camp, Ponder joined 90 others in the uphill battle for one of the limited remaining roster spots, beating out drafted players and veterans who’ve appeared in the Super Bowl or were first-round picks.
“I’m just excited to be here, to start this new chapter,” Ponder said during an appearance with the media on Wednesday, noting that his parents and girlfriend were the first people he told. “When you’re little, and you’re playing football, you see all the older guys playing in the NFL. I want to do that one day.”
In camp, Ponder embraced special teams duties, doing whatever was asked to “help the team out” and strengthen his case for a roster spot.
Not having any special teams experience in college, he saw the opportunity as a way to expand his skill set and prove his versatility and value at the pro level.
“I was just willing to (be on special teams and do) whatever to help the team out,” Ponder said. “Taking the coaching points from Coach (Jeremy) Springer and just applying them on the field daily (and) just letting everything play out the way it needs to play out.”
Ponder was one of two undrafted free agents to make the team, along with fellow Big Sky Conference alum Efton Chisom III, a receiver from Eastern Washington.
“We played in the same conference. We got the same agent. So we spent a lot of time this off-season training and stuff like that, so it’s pretty special,” Chisom said while answer reporters’ questions on Wednesday. “It’s the Big Sky. I love the Big Sky. And to compete against him for four years, and now we’re both in the same spot. We made the team. It’s pretty special.”
Elijah Ponder played five seasons at Cal Poly
Ponder’s football journey traces back to San Luis Obispo, where he played five seasons for Cal Poly and capped his college career with an invitation to the East-West Shrine Bowl earlier this year.
As a Mustang, he was a two-time First Team All-Big Sky selection and finished third in program history with 27 sacks. He also set the school record for quarterback hurries (44) and ranks fifth in tackles for loss (43.5).
In 2023, Ponder was named an FCS Third-Team All-American after tying the program’s single-season record with 17 quarterback hurries.
Ponder is the first Mustang to earn a spot on a 53-man NFL roster since wide receiver JJ Koski, who last appeared with the Los Angeles Rams in 2021.
“I’m a big believer in everything would work out the way it needs to work out,” Ponder said. “I’m confident in my ability and what I can do on the field, so I like to take my opportunities and show what I need to show, and I’m glad to be in this position.”
