Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 35-13vs Wyoming | 6 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | Season-high 6 tackles |
| Wk 2 | W 58-24vs Southern Utah | 4 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | |
| Total | 10 | 5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 2 |
#13
Elijah Mc-Cantos
Redshirt senior safety on Colorado State's 2026 roster.
6′0″ · 190 lb · Little Haiti, FL · Edison
CFB Index 60 · #185 of 544 safetiesMedium confidenceTransferred App State → Colorado State for 2026
CFB Index
A single number blending on-field production (an EPA-based value lane) with box-score output for this player's position.
0-100, scaled within each position's own cohort — not directly comparable across positions.
Recruiting
3★
CB recruit
No. 690 nationally · Signed with Illinois
No college snaps yet.
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 safety on Colorado State's 2026 roster.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to Illinois in 2022.
- Transferred from App State to Colorado State in 2026.
Elijah Mc-Cantos
Moves between deep coverage and the slot. Elijah Mc-Cantos has played for four head coaches across five seasons and three programs. The receipt: 6 tackles against Wyoming — Week 1, 2026.
10 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- game log
His career
5 programs, one constant: he played.
2022
- Signed with Illinois3-star out of Miami Edison
20248 games
The role got bigger.
- Entered the portal
2026
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
3 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2022–2026
3 coaches2022–2024
Colorado State
2025era →
Tyson Summers
Colorado State
Played under 3 different head coaches: Jay Norvell, Tyson Summers, and Jim Mora. Multi-era developmental context.
Where He Ended Up · Transfer
Transferred to Colorado State
2025App State
2026Colorado State
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2022Illinois8-5HC: Bret Bielema · Run-leaning
2023Illinois5-7HC: Bret Bielema · Balanced
2024App State5-6HC: Shawn Clark · Balanced
2025App State5-8HC: Dowell Loggains · Pass-leaning
2026Colorado State2-0HC: Dowell Loggains · Run-leaning, fast tempo
2026Colorado State2-0HC: Jim Mora · Balanced
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Medium confidenceBreakout
Elite: passes defended (94th percentile). Concern: tackles (10th 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: 5.0 TKL/g, 0.0 TFL/g, 0.0 SACK/g, 1.0 PD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Jim Mora
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2025
Part-time starter
Tackle volume for the position in part-time-starter range.
Recognition
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Production · CFB Index Score
60 · #185 of 544 safeties
Three-star recruit. Now #185 at the position.
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Colorado State | 10 | 5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2 | -- | -- |
| 2025 | App State | 52 | 28 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 2 | 2 | -- |
| 2024 | App State | 15 | 6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2023 | Illinois | 5 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2022 | Illinois | 1 | -- | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 83 | 42 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 4 | 2 | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 2 · 2026
W 58–24
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Moves between deep coverage and the slot — the modern positionless DB.
CFB Index positional classification
DNA match
Player DNA
Hybrid Nickel
Moves between deep coverage and the slot — the modern positionless DB.
S
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Marcus Banks’s 2023 season.
88%match
Matches Marcus on
Tackle volume
Height
PD rate
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a senior, his production profile tracks closest to Alex Odom's senior season at Temple (2023).
Matches Alex on
Class year
Height
TFL rate
Player DNA
Players who play like Elijah Mc-Cantos
Background
at Colorado State • Participated in spring 2026 practices Before Colorado State • Played two seasons at App State, one at Illinois • In 12 games in 2025, had 56 tackles, two interceptions and two pass breakups • Made 23 appearances at App State with 71 total tackles Personal/High School • Played...
The secondary · Colorado State
- #32Jake Jarmolowich72 tackles · 2025
- #1D'Mon Brinson59 tackles · 2025
- #12Jace Bellah58 tackles · 2025
- #7Lemondre Joe56 tackles · 2025
- #13Elijah Mc-Cantos52 tackles · 2025
27 more on the roster · Colorado State team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology