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