Stanford Standout WR Ranked Among Top-50 NFL Draft Prospects

Nov 23, 2024; Berkeley, California, USA; California Golden Bears defensive back Nohl Williams (right) defends against Stanford Cardinal wide receiver Elic Ayomanor (13) during the fourth quarter at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
Nov 23, 2024; Berkeley, California, USA; California Golden Bears defensive back Nohl Williams (right) defends against Stanford Cardinal wide receiver Elic Ayomanor (13) during the fourth quarter at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images / Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
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It should come as no surprise to anyone that has seen him play that Stanford football wide receiver Elic Ayomanor is headed for the NFL. The big question right now is when that will happen. After redshirting his sophomore season in 2023, Ayomanor is still considered an underclassman, and there is no rush to make the jump to the League if he feels that he can graduate and improve his draft stock in the process.

ESPN NFL Draft Analyst Jordan Reid recently released his rankings for the top-50 NFL Draft prospects for the 2025 draft, and Ayomanor was among the list of names, ranking at No. 47.

He said of the Stanford WR: "Ayomanor is a fluid and smooth player who produced for a struggling Cardinal team this season, accumulating 63 receptions for 831 yards and six touchdowns.

"He runs routes with a purpose and gets open against all coverages with his ability to threaten the cushion given to him by cornerbacks. Ayomanor needs to reduce his drops, as he has seven this season, but the redshirt sophomore has room to grow."

There was one play in particular where Ayomanor caught the ball on the sidelines late in the season, but then had the ball ripped away from him by the defender, resulting in an interception that counted against quarterback Ashton Daniels. Those kinds of plays won't fly in the NFL.

That said, it's easy to see why NFL scouts would be all over wanting to bring Ayomanor aboard to their teams. Even with inconsistent play from the offensive line, which gave QBs Daniels, Justin Lamson, and Elijah Brown little time in the pocket, Ayomanor was still able to produce.

Unlike a number of Cardinal, Ayomanor did not opt to enter the transfer portal last week, so that means that he could either choose to stay at Stanford, playing for head coach Troy Taylor with Andrew Luck in place as the GM of the program, or that he will be declaring for the Draft in the coming weeks.

If he chooses to remain, the duo he could form with Emmett Mosley V over the course of a full season would give the Cardinal a couple of big-time weapons to utilize with a revamped roster and a new QB.

If he heads to the Draft, he's looking like a mid-to-late second round pick based off these rankings, though his actual slot could change depending on pick trades and team needs.


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