ELI SANDERS NEWS

Leaving New Mexico Sanders has entered the NCAA transfer portal, Pete Thamel of ESPN.com reports.

Impact Sanders will explore opportunities elsewhere after spending one year with the Lobos. The 5-foot-11 junior, who previously played with Iowa State, posted 147 carries for 1,064 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground, along with 15 receptions for 134 yards through the passing game. Sanders, a true dominator with New Mexico, averaging 7.2 yards per carry, will likely draw the attention of power-five programs in the portal.

5 DAYS AGO • ROTOWIRE

Finishes strong Sanders logged 17 rushes for 121 yards and gathered in 3 of 5 targets for 31 yards during Saturday's 38-30 loss to Hawaii.

Impact It's the fourth straight 100-yard game for Sanders -- the junior logged 607 yards with five touchdowns in that span. Sanders, who joined the Lobos as a transfer after spending three seasons with Iowa State, will finish the year with a career-best 1,064 yards and nine touchdowns across 12 games.

DECEMBER 2 • ROTOWIRE

Productive again Sanders logged 13 carries for 108 yards and a touchdown during Saturday's 38-35 win over Washington State.

Impact It's the third straight 100-yard game from Sanders -- he's totaled 486 yards with five touchdowns in that span. Sanders, a junior transfer from Iowa State, is closing in on a 1,000-yard season-- he's up to 943 yards with nine touchdowns on 130 carries through 11 games with the Lobos.

NOVEMBER 18 • ROTOWIRE

Another huge day Sanders logged 16 carries for 173 yards and two touchdowns and hauled in 2 of 4 targets for seven yards during Friday's 21-16 win over San Diego State.

Impact Sanders got off to a quick start Friday, rushing for a 51-yard touchdown on New Mexico's opening drive before adding a 68-yard score later in the first quarter. The junior running back now has 378 yards and four touchdowns in his last two games and 603 yards with seven scores in his previous five contests.

NOVEMBER 10 • ROTOWIRE

Eli Sanders, Devon Dampier lead New Mexico to 21-16 victory over San Diego State

Eli Sanders had two long touchdown runs in the first quarter and Devon Dampier had a go-ahead touchdown pass in the fourth to lead New Mexico to a 21-16 victory over San Diego Stat...

NOVEMBER 9 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Explodes vs. Wyoming Sanders totaled 17 rushes for 205 yards and two touchdowns and gathered in his only target for six yards during Saturday's 49-45 loss to Wyoming.

Impact It was a breakout game from the junior running back, who reached double-digit yards for the first time this season while recording his third two-score effort in his last four contests. Sanders is up to 662 yards and six touchdowns on 101 carries this season. He'll look to keep rolling next week on the road against San Diego State.

NOVEMBER 3 • ROTOWIRE

Leads backfield again Sanders notched 15 carries for 70 yards and hauled in 4 of 5 targets for 42 yards during Saturday's 17-6 loss to Colorado State.

Impact Sanders now has double-digit touches in back-to-back games while rushing for 225 yards in his last three contests. With Javen Jacobs' (undisclosed) listed as questionable, Sanders could be in for an even larger workload next week against Wyoming.

OCTOBER 28 • ROTOWIRE

Two more scores Saturday Sanders logged 14 carries for 75 yards and two touchdowns in Saturday's 50-45 win over Utah State.

Impact Sanders now has 155 yards and four touchdowns in his last two games after totaling 145 yards in his previous four contests. The junior will look to keep rolling next week in a road matchup with Colorado State.

OCTOBER 21 • ROTOWIRE

Two more scores Saturday Sanders logged 14 carries for 75 yards and two touchdowns in Saturday's 50-45 win over Utah State.

Impact Sanders now has 155 yards and four touchdowns in his last two games after totaling 145 yards in his previous four contests. The junior will look to keep rolling next week in a road matchup with Colorado State.

OCTOBER 21 • ROTOWIRE

Devon Dampier, Eli Sanders help New Mexico rally late to pull out 50-45 victory over Utah State

Devon Dampier and Eli Sanders had touchdown runs in the final 3:53 to rally New Mexico to a 50-45 victory over Utah State

OCTOBER 20 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Two scores Saturday Sanders posted five rushes for 80 yards and two touchdowns during Saturday's 52-37 win against Air Force.

Impact Sanders made the most of his limited touches Saturday, rushing for a 31-yard touchdown in the third quarter, his first of the season, before adding a second score with a 35-yard scamper in the fourth. Sanders was expected to serve as New Mexico's primary back after transferring from Iowa State in the offseason, though he'd only seen 17 carries in three games coming into Saturday's contests. He's now up to 312 yards on 55 carries this season.

OCTOBER 14 • ROTOWIRE

Sees 16 carries in Week 1 Sanders compiled 16 carries for 30 yards and caught 2 of 3 targets for 39 yards during Saturday's 61-39 defeat against Arizona.

Impact Sanders wasn't able to find much room on the ground Saturday, though he salvaged a respectable outing with a couple of receptions, including one for 31 yards. Sanders, who joined the Lobos as a transfer from Iowa State this season, appears to be the clear lead back for New Mexico. He's compiled 117 rushing yards on 33 carries through his first two games this season.

SEPTEMBER 4 • ROTOWIRE

Signs with New Mexico Sanders has signed with New Mexico, according to the team's announcement Tuesday.

Impact Sanders logged 520 scrimmage yards and five touchdowns (all but one of them rushing) during Iowa State's 2023 season. By enrolling at New Mexico, he is expected to be one of the 2024 Lobos' top-two options at running back. If so, the next question becomes if Sanders can surpass future teammate and fellow top-two back Jacory Croskey-Merritt, who logged more than 1,100 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns with UNM during 2023. The former would have to significantly elevate his statistical output to do so.

JANUARY 16 • ROTOWIRE

Entering transfer portal Sanders is entering the transfer portal, according to his announcement Monday.

Impact With two seasons of collegiate eligibility remaining, Sanders will look to spend at least one of them elsewhere. 2023 was his best year yet. Sanders logged 102 carries and five receptions for 520 all-purpose yards (477 rushing and 43 receiving) and five touchdowns (four rushing and one receiving) across his nine games with Iowa State this season.

NOVEMBER 27, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Unavailable Saturday Sanders (undisclosed) did not make the trip to Kansas for Saturday's matchup with the Wildcats, Travis Hines of The Des Moines Register reports.

Impact Sanders will miss his third game of the 2023 season due to undisclosed reasons as the Cyclones face off against Kansas State. The redshirt sophomore back carried the ball 102 times for 477 yards and four touchdowns across nine outings. With Cartevious Norton also sidelined for the contest, Abu Sama III appears in line to handle a large workload.

NOVEMBER 25, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Adds fourth TD of the season Sanders posted nine rushes for 57 yards and one touchdown during Saturday's 45-13 victory against Brigham Young.

Impact Sanders notched his fourth touchdown of the season in the blowout of the Cougars. Due to the lopsided nature of the game, Sanders' streak of four games with double-digit carries was snapped. Iowa State will play a tough Texas team next week.

NOVEMBER 12, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Totals 101 yards at Baylor Sanders recorded 14 carries for 90 yards and caught 1 of 2 targets for 11 yards during Saturday's 30-18 victory versus Baylor.

Impact Sanders received a team-high 14 carries, however, it was Cartevious Norton who had the two rushing scores. Norton rushed for 58 yards and two touchdowns on 10 carries. Sanders has double-digit carries in four of his last five games, so he will continue to be a big part of the team's offensive plans. Iowa State will play Kansas next week.

OCTOBER 29, 2023 • ROTOWIRE