Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 66-14vs Idaho | 4 | 1 | 0.5 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 4 tackles |
| Wk 2 | W 43-10vs Arkansas | 4 | 1 | 1.0 | 1.0 | — | 1 | |
| Total | 8 | 2 | 1.5 | 1.0 | — | 1 |
#83
Elijah Elliss
Junior linebacker for Utah. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
6′2″ · 225 lb · Farmington, UT · Layton Christian HS
Returning to Utah for 2026
The numbers
8
tackles · 2026
1.5 TFL · 1 sacks · 1 PBU
2 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 4 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 sacks, vs Arkansas
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
3 linebacker for Utah. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to Utah in 2024.
Elijah Elliss
Is steady in every phase without a signature trait. Elijah Elliss has been at Utah through two head coaches in two seasons. The receipt on tape: 4 tackles, 1 sacks against Arkansas, Week 2, 2026.
8 TACKLES · 1 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- game log
His career
2024
- Signed with Utah3-star out of Layton Christian Academy
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
Utah
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2025–2026
2 coaches2025
Utah
2026era →
Morgan Scalley
Utah
Coaching transition mid-career: Kyle Whittingham → Morgan Scalley. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2025Utah11-2HC: Kyle Whittingham · Run-heavy
2026Utah2-0HC: Morgan Scalley · Run-leaning
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Elite: sacks (87th percentile). Concern: tackles (0th percentile).
Box-score production (6)
Percentiles are versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score production. There are no play-by-play efficiency bars here: CFBD's play-value model credits offensive players only, so no defensive EPA exists to rank.
Splits & context
Splits
Per-game splits
Through 2 games: 4.0 TKL/g, 0.8 TFL/g, 0.5 SACK/g, 0.5 PD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Morgan Scalley
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2025
Rotational
Tackle volume for the position in rotation-piece range.
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Career stats
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 1 · 2026
W 66–14
vs Idaho
4 TOT · 1 SOLO · 0 TFL
Dominant 52-point win at home against Idaho.
With D. Dampier — 176 yds · 3 TD · 0 INT · QBR 93.5 · 31 rush yds (6 car) · B. Ficklin — 93 yds · 2 TD · 0 INT · QBR 80.1 · 70 rush yds (8 car)
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Solid in every phase without a signature dimension.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Utah
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Linebacker · Utah
Returning around him
- 3 Utah players drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: -5 net (17 in / 22 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Utah · Last season: 11-2 (AP #15) · Talent rank #58 · 2026 recruiting class #27
DNA match
Player DNA
Balanced Linebacker
Solid in every phase without a signature dimension.
LB
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Caden Sullivan’s 2022 season.
Matches Caden on
TFL rate
Class year
Solo tackle rate
Differs from Caden on
Hurry rate (lower)
Weight (lower)
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a freshman, his production profile tracks closest to Madden Faraimo's freshman season at Notre Dame (2025).
Matches Madden on
TFL rate
Sack rate
Weight
Differs from Madden on
Hurry rate (lower)
PD rate (lower)
Background
2025: Played in all 13 games, both on defense and special teams. Totaled 18 tackles (3.0 TFL, 2.0 sack) on the season. Career-best five tackles against Colorado included 2.0 TFL and 1.0 sack. Three tackles during the Las Vegas Bowl win over Nebraska included a seven-yard sack. Made four takedowns...
The linebacker corps · Utah
- #7Johnathan Hall63 tackles · 2025
- #10Trey Reynolds28 tackles · 2025
- #83Elijah Elliss18 tackles · 2025
- Cyrus Polu14 tackles · 2025
- #53Brock Fonoimoana8 tackles · 2025
5 more on the roster · Utah team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology