2024 Football Roster
Roster
Akharaiyi, Kelly
LB
/ FootballQB
/ FootballWR
/ FootballCB
/ FootballQB
/ FootballS
/ FootballWR
/ FootballS
/ FootballCB
/ FootballWR
/ FootballWR
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/ FootballWR
/ FootballCB
/ FootballLB
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/ FootballDL
/ FootballWR
/ FootballWR
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/ FootballS
/ FootballWR
/ FootballS
/ FootballCB
/ FootballWR
/ FootballWR
/ FootballCB
/ FootballS
/ FootballQB
/ FootballLB
/ FootballS
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/ FootballRB
/ FootballS
/ FootballDL
/ FootballRB
/ FootballRB
/ FootballDL
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/ FootballRB
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/ FootballS
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/ FootballTE
/ FootballLB
/ FootballTE
/ FootballLS
/ FootballLB
/ FootballLB
/ FootballDL
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/ FootballK
/ FootballLS
/ FootballK
/ FootballOL
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/ FootballOL
/ FootballOL
/ FootballOL
/ FootballOL
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/ FootballOL
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Jersey Number 1
Kelly Akharaiyi
- Position:
- WR
- Height:
- 6-1
- Weight:
- 200
- Class:
- Senior
- Hometown:
- Irving, Texas
- High School/Previous School:
- MacArthur HS (UTEP)
Bio
Career Honors
SEC Graduate
2024 SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll
2024 Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Watchlist
2025 Reese's Senior Bowl Watchlist
2024 Biletnikoff Award Watchlist
2024 College Football Network Preseason All-SEC (HM)
2024 East-West Shrine Bowl Top 1000 Watchlist
2024 Athlon Sports Preseason All-SEC (Fourth Team)
2023 All-Conference USA First Team (WR)
2023 Conference USA Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll
Career Notes
Played in 35 career games with 25 starts … At Mississippi State he played in 11 games with seven starts ... Ended his career with 94 career receptions, 1,699 yards and 10 touchdowns … He has a long reception of 80 yards while at UTEP and a long reception of 49 yards at State … Averaged 18.1 yards per reception and 48.5 yards per game in his career ... Accepted an invite to the 2024 Hula Bowl.
2024 (Senior Season)
Played in 11 games with seven starts … On the year he had 25 receptions for 391 yards and two touchdowns … Averaged 2.3 receptions per game, 15.6 yards per reception and 35.5 yards per game … Finished third on the team in receptions and third in yards … In SEC only games he ranked 8th in yards per catch (17.1) … 1 of 18 SEC players with a 2+ touchdown game … at Arizona State (9/7): Made his Mississippi State debut ... Caught his first pass as a Bulldog for 18 yards ... Toledo (9/14): Had four receptions for 32 yards ... Has caught at least one pass in 10 straight games ... Florida (9/21): Caught three passes for 56 yards ... Caught his longest pass as a Bulldog (28 yards) and set a season high in receiving yards with 56 ... Caught the first pass of Michael Van Buren Jr.’s career in the fourth quarter ... at Texas (9/28): Caught one pass for 18 yards ... at Georgia (10/12): Made his first start for MSU … Caught three passes for 72 yards and two touchdowns … Caught his first touchdown as a Bulldog … His 72 receiving yards are also a season-high … Earned his third career multiple touchdown game, first at Mississippi State ... Texas A&M (10/19): Caught three passes for 45 yards ... Arkansas (10/26): Caught three passes for 15 yards ... UMass (10/2): Caught one pass for 17 yards ... Missouri (11/23): Caught three passes for 64 yards … Had a season-long 49 yard catch … at Ole Miss (11/29): Caught three passes for 54 yards … Had a long reception of 36 yards.
2023 (Junior Season – UTEP)
Played and started in all 12 games ... Was one of two CUSA wide receivers to tally 1,000+ yards as he led the Miners in receiving yards (1,033), yards per game (86.1), receptions (48), receiving scores (7) and yards per catch (21.5) … Led CUSA and ranked fifth in FBS in yards per catch ... He ranks second in receiving yards, third in yards per game, fourth in receiving touchdowns and sixth in receptions … Ranked 17th in FBS in receiving yards and 17th in yards per game ... Posted a pair of 80-yard touchdown receptions, the most 80+ yard receptions for a UTEP wide receiver since 1999 ... Posted his first 80-yard score at FIU, while adding another at Middle Tennessee … Hauled in a 62-yard score against WKU, while he reeled in a 64-yard catch against no. 22 Liberty ... Finished with six 100-yard performances, including being the first ever Miner to post four consecutive 100-yard efforts in a single season ... At FIU, registered career-highs in receiving yards (223) and receptions (8), while he hauled in a pair of touchdowns – also a career best ... Matched his touchdowns' effort with two at MTSU …. Concluded the season by putting up 126 yards at Sam Houston, 141 against WKU, 138 at MTSU and 109 versus no. 22 Liberty.
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2022 (Sophomore Season – UTEP)
Played in all 12 games, starting six in first season with UTEP … Ranked third on the team in receptions (21) and receiving yards (275) and scored a touchdown … Produced a career-high 99 yards on three receptions and added a career-long 68-yard touchdown catch in a win over FIU … Tallied a season-high four receptions (36 yards) at no. 9 Oklahoma.Â
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2021 (Redshirt Freshman Season – Tyler JC)
Ranked first at Tyler JC in receiving yards (681) and second on the team in receptions (52) … Ranked third on the team in touchdown receptions (six) … Opened campaign with a season-high eight receptions for 89 yards and a score against Kilgore … Hauled in a pair of scores on seven receptions for 59 yards in a 69-57 win against Navarro … Matched season high with eight receptions for 101 yards at Cisco … Tallied a season-most 102 yards on five catches (20.4 avg.) at NMMI … Scored two touchdowns, while adding four receptions for 62 yards at Trinity Valley … Reeled in a 22-yard score against Blinn … Efforts helped Tyler JC to a 7-5 overall record (5-3 conference mark).
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2020 (True Freshman Season – Tyler JC)
Redshirted in his first season at Tyler JC.
High School
Played at MacArthur High School in Irving, Texas.
Social Media
X/Twitter – @OGAKELS
Instagram – kodnamek
Career-Highs
Receptions: 8, at FIU (10/11/2023) *
Receiving Yards: 223, at FIU (10/11/2023) *
Receiving Touchdowns: 2, 3x, last at Georgia (10/12/2024)
Longest Reception: 80, 2x, last at Middle Tennessee (11/18/2023) *
Rushing Attempts: 1, 3x, last vs. Louisiana Tech (9/29/2023) *
Rushing Yards: 7, vs. Louisiana Tech (9/29/2023) *
Longest Rush: 7 yards, vs. Louisiana Tech (9/29/2023) *
* Career-high set at UTEP
SEC Graduate
2024 SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll
2024 Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Watchlist
2025 Reese's Senior Bowl Watchlist
2024 Biletnikoff Award Watchlist
2024 College Football Network Preseason All-SEC (HM)
2024 East-West Shrine Bowl Top 1000 Watchlist
2024 Athlon Sports Preseason All-SEC (Fourth Team)
2023 All-Conference USA First Team (WR)
2023 Conference USA Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll
Career Notes
Played in 35 career games with 25 starts … At Mississippi State he played in 11 games with seven starts ... Ended his career with 94 career receptions, 1,699 yards and 10 touchdowns … He has a long reception of 80 yards while at UTEP and a long reception of 49 yards at State … Averaged 18.1 yards per reception and 48.5 yards per game in his career ... Accepted an invite to the 2024 Hula Bowl.
2024 (Senior Season)
Played in 11 games with seven starts … On the year he had 25 receptions for 391 yards and two touchdowns … Averaged 2.3 receptions per game, 15.6 yards per reception and 35.5 yards per game … Finished third on the team in receptions and third in yards … In SEC only games he ranked 8th in yards per catch (17.1) … 1 of 18 SEC players with a 2+ touchdown game … at Arizona State (9/7): Made his Mississippi State debut ... Caught his first pass as a Bulldog for 18 yards ... Toledo (9/14): Had four receptions for 32 yards ... Has caught at least one pass in 10 straight games ... Florida (9/21): Caught three passes for 56 yards ... Caught his longest pass as a Bulldog (28 yards) and set a season high in receiving yards with 56 ... Caught the first pass of Michael Van Buren Jr.’s career in the fourth quarter ... at Texas (9/28): Caught one pass for 18 yards ... at Georgia (10/12): Made his first start for MSU … Caught three passes for 72 yards and two touchdowns … Caught his first touchdown as a Bulldog … His 72 receiving yards are also a season-high … Earned his third career multiple touchdown game, first at Mississippi State ... Texas A&M (10/19): Caught three passes for 45 yards ... Arkansas (10/26): Caught three passes for 15 yards ... UMass (10/2): Caught one pass for 17 yards ... Missouri (11/23): Caught three passes for 64 yards … Had a season-long 49 yard catch … at Ole Miss (11/29): Caught three passes for 54 yards … Had a long reception of 36 yards.
2023 (Junior Season – UTEP)
Played and started in all 12 games ... Was one of two CUSA wide receivers to tally 1,000+ yards as he led the Miners in receiving yards (1,033), yards per game (86.1), receptions (48), receiving scores (7) and yards per catch (21.5) … Led CUSA and ranked fifth in FBS in yards per catch ... He ranks second in receiving yards, third in yards per game, fourth in receiving touchdowns and sixth in receptions … Ranked 17th in FBS in receiving yards and 17th in yards per game ... Posted a pair of 80-yard touchdown receptions, the most 80+ yard receptions for a UTEP wide receiver since 1999 ... Posted his first 80-yard score at FIU, while adding another at Middle Tennessee … Hauled in a 62-yard score against WKU, while he reeled in a 64-yard catch against no. 22 Liberty ... Finished with six 100-yard performances, including being the first ever Miner to post four consecutive 100-yard efforts in a single season ... At FIU, registered career-highs in receiving yards (223) and receptions (8), while he hauled in a pair of touchdowns – also a career best ... Matched his touchdowns' effort with two at MTSU …. Concluded the season by putting up 126 yards at Sam Houston, 141 against WKU, 138 at MTSU and 109 versus no. 22 Liberty.
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2022 (Sophomore Season – UTEP)
Played in all 12 games, starting six in first season with UTEP … Ranked third on the team in receptions (21) and receiving yards (275) and scored a touchdown … Produced a career-high 99 yards on three receptions and added a career-long 68-yard touchdown catch in a win over FIU … Tallied a season-high four receptions (36 yards) at no. 9 Oklahoma.Â
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2021 (Redshirt Freshman Season – Tyler JC)
Ranked first at Tyler JC in receiving yards (681) and second on the team in receptions (52) … Ranked third on the team in touchdown receptions (six) … Opened campaign with a season-high eight receptions for 89 yards and a score against Kilgore … Hauled in a pair of scores on seven receptions for 59 yards in a 69-57 win against Navarro … Matched season high with eight receptions for 101 yards at Cisco … Tallied a season-most 102 yards on five catches (20.4 avg.) at NMMI … Scored two touchdowns, while adding four receptions for 62 yards at Trinity Valley … Reeled in a 22-yard score against Blinn … Efforts helped Tyler JC to a 7-5 overall record (5-3 conference mark).
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2020 (True Freshman Season – Tyler JC)
Redshirted in his first season at Tyler JC.
High School
Played at MacArthur High School in Irving, Texas.
Social Media
X/Twitter – @OGAKELS
Instagram – kodnamek
Career-Highs
Receptions: 8, at FIU (10/11/2023) *
Receiving Yards: 223, at FIU (10/11/2023) *
Receiving Touchdowns: 2, 3x, last at Georgia (10/12/2024)
Longest Reception: 80, 2x, last at Middle Tennessee (11/18/2023) *
Rushing Attempts: 1, 3x, last vs. Louisiana Tech (9/29/2023) *
Rushing Yards: 7, vs. Louisiana Tech (9/29/2023) *
Longest Rush: 7 yards, vs. Louisiana Tech (9/29/2023) *
* Career-high set at UTEP
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