DETROIT – Two UTEP Miners were selected in the NFL Draft on Saturday and join WKU WR Malachi Corley as the three Conference USA draftees in 2024. UTEP LB Tyrice Knight was selected in the fourth round (118th overall) by the Seattle Seahawks, while OL Elijah Klein was taken in the sixth round (220th overall) by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Knight concluded his career at UTEP by leading CUSA with 140 tackles in 2023 on his way to First Team All-CUSA honors, starting in all 12 games. His 84 solo stops ranked second in CUSA, while Knight’s 15.5 tackles for loss also rated second. The Lakeland, Florida, product capped his final season with UTEP by totaling a game-high 15 tackles against No. 22 Liberty, his 19th career double-digit tackle performance. Knight stuffed the stat sheet in 2023, recording 4.5 sacks, a forced fumble, two fumble recoveries, four quarterback hurries and seven pass breakups. Knight wraps up four seasons in El Paso with 391 career tackles, ranking ninth on the program’s all-time list. He also amassed 217 career solo tackles to place 10th in school history.
Klein, another First Team All-CUSA selection, started all 12 games on the offensive line in 2023. The Mt. Baldy, California, product showcased his versatility, starting the first eight games at right guard. Klein then made a start at right tackle at Sam Houston, followed by a move to the other end of the line at left tackle against WKU and then made his way back at right guard for the final two contests. Klein was part of an offensive line group that helped the rushing attack average over 159 yards rushing per game (1,439 total rushing yards) and ran for 12 touchdowns. Klein made 50 consecutive starts for the Miners throughout his career.
This marks the first time since 2008 where multiple Miners went in the same draft.
The UTEP duo’s selections bring CUSA’s total number of draftees to 62 since 2016.
Conference USA 2024 NFL Draft Picks
Round 3, Pick 65 – WR Malachi Corley, WKU – New York Jets
Round 4, Pick 118 – LB Tyrice Knight, UTEP – Seattle Seahawks
Round 6, Pick 220 – OL Elijah Klein, UTEP – Tampa Bay Buccaneers
-ConferenceUSA.com-
