Where did Austin Ekeler go to college?

Austin Ekeler attended Western Colorado University. Austin Ekeler is the running back for the Washington Commanders in the NFL as of 2024. Originally a member of the 2017 NFL Draft class, he went undrafted but was later signed as an undrafted free agent by the Los Angeles Chargers. He signed a three-year deal with the Chargers in 2017, which gave him a little over $1.5 million, but his improved performances in those years helped him sign a much bigger 4-year contract worth $24.5 million in 2020. After the end of the 2023 NFL season, Ekeler became a free agent and then signed a two-year deal with the Washington Commanders in March 2024. The dual threat running back has 326 rushing yards and 255 receiving yards through first ten weeks of the 2024 NFL season (via Pro Football Reference).

Ekeler’s rookie year was mostly spent as a backup and although he featured in 16 games, he did not start any of them and was limited to few snaps. Overall, his first year ended with just 260 rushing yards and two touchdowns; however, he did catch the ball for 279 yards and three receiving touchdowns. Throughout seven seasons with the Chargers, he had played in 103 games, starting 68, with 68 attempts for 4,355 rushing yards and 39 touchdowns, while 440 receptions for 3,884 passing yards and 30 touchdowns. However, he also had 21 fumbles.

Austin Ekeler's College

Ekeler spent four seasons attending and playing college football at Western State or Western Colorado University. The Western Colorado Mountaineers fall under the NCAA Division II umbrella and represent the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC). Ekeler recorded over 1,000 rushing yards in each of his four years with the university. He had over 1,600 rushing yards in his sophomore and junior years, while in his senior year, he fell just five yards short of 1,500.

During his time in college, Ekeler was not used very much as a receiving threat. This part of his game has been discovered and improved in the NFL. He finished his college career with 5,857 rushing yards and 55 touchdowns on the ground while adding a further eight touchdowns through the air. In 2013, Ekeler finished the year as the winner of the RMAC Offensive Freshman of the Year and a four-time first-team All-RMAC from 2013 to 2016.

Ekeler's college statistics are as follows:

Year	GP	Rushing					Receiving
		Att	Yds	Avg	Lng	TD	Rec	Yds	Avg	Lng	TD
2013	9	182	1,049	5.8	71	7	27	260	5.9	28	1
2014	11	298	1,676	5.6	82	14	38	417	10.9	47	2
2015	10	227	1,637	7.2	83	19	32	402	12.5	85	2
2016	10	232	1,495	6.4	88	15	18	236	13.1	48	3
Career	40	939	5,857	6.2	88	55	115	1,315	11.4	85	8

Where did Austin Ekeler go to high school?

As the Nebraska native spent most of his childhood growing up in Colorado, Austin Ekeler attended Eaton High School in Eaton, Colorado. He was a member of the school’s football team called the Fightin' Reds. Over his four years of high school football, he managed to record 5,232 rushing yards and 71 touchdowns but unfortunately, he was a zero-star recruit. He had very limited scholarship offers from universities, and most of them who did offer wanted him to switch over to the defensive side of the ball. Finally, he enrolled at Western Colorado University in 2017.

Where did Austin Ekeler grow up?

Ekeler was born in the city of Lincoln, Nebraska, on May 17, 1995. He was born to his mother, Suzanne Ekeler, while his biological father remains unknown. It is not known when the family relocated to Colorado but Ekeler did spend some part of his childhood growing up there. His passion for sports probably stems from his mother, as she was a college basketball player who played for the University of Colorado.