Ifeatu Melifonwu

Former defensive back at Syracuse. 2020: 1 interception, 8 pass breakups, 54 tackles.

DB · Syracuse · Jr. · #2

6′3″ · 213 lb · South Grafton, MA

All-ConferenceDetroit — drafted 2021, Rd 3, Pick 38, #101 overall

Recruiting

3★

S recruit

No. 1556 nationally · Signed with Syracuse

No college snaps yet.

His career numbers, season by season

The story

Former defensive back at Syracuse. 2020: 1 interception, 8 pass breakups, 54 tackles.

Signed as a 3-star recruit to Syracuse in 2017.
Drafted round 3 by the Detroit in 2021.

His career, year by year

How it ended

Three seasons at Syracuse, 88 tackles — drafted at #101 overall by Detroit.

His career

Nobody recruited him. He earned the honors anyway.

2017

Signed with Syracuse3-star out of Grafton Memorial Senior

202010 games

All-ACCthird

2021

Drafted by Detroitround 3, pick 101

Career arc

Recruit

★★★

#1556 national

CFB

College

Syracuse

2018–2020

NFL

NFL Draft

R3 · #101

Detroit · 2021

Trophy case · Confirmed honors

What the selectors said

1 honor

🎖

ALL-ACC

All-ACC mention (2020)

Coaching lineage · 2018–2020

1 coach

2018–2020

Dino Babers

Syracuse

Played his entire career under Dino Babers.

Where He Ended Up · NFL

DetroitEntering 6th NFL season

#101Rd 3 · Pick 38

DetroitEntering 6th NFL season

View college career stats ↓

2020 snapshot

Season context · Team result + system

3 seasons under Dino Babers — 16-20 over that span.

2018Syracuse10-3HC: Dino Babers · Run-leaning, fast tempo

2019Syracuse5-7HC: Dino Babers · Run-leaning, fast tempo

2020Syracuse1-10HC: Dino Babers · Balanced, slow tempo

Where this defender ranks vs the field

Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort

7 metrics · season cumulative

Elite: passes defended (99th percentile). Strength: solo tackles (97th percentile). Concern: qb hurries (29th percentile).

Box-score production (7)

Passes defended#28 / 2211 · 99th pct

Solo tackles#73 / 2211 · 97th pct

Tackles#238 / 2211 · 89th pct

Tackles for loss#683 / 2211 · 66th pct

3.0

Sacks#580 / 2211 · 66th pct

1.0

Interceptions#180 / 568 · 34th pct

QB hurries#917 / 2211 · 29th pct

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

2020 season · 10 games

Home/Road · Season halves

Home vs Road

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Home5g	5.2	0.2	0.2	0.6
Road5g	5.6	0.4	0.0	1.0

First half vs Second half

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Weeks 1-74g	4.5	0.0	0.0	0.8
Weeks 8+6g	6.0	0.5	0.2	0.8

Supporting cast · Scheme

Staff and system around the player

2026 season

Head Coach

Fran Brown

Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.

Awards

Player standing · 2020

All-Conference

Picked for an all-conference team by at least one selector.

Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex

Career stats

Season	Team
2020	Syracuse	54	43	3.0	1.0	8	1	--
2019	Syracuse	20	16	1.0	0.0	7	2	--
2018	Syracuse	14	14	1.0	0.0	6	--	--
Career		88	73	5.0	1.0	21	3	--

Signature game

SIGNATURE GAME · Week 4 · 2020

W 37–20

vs Georgia Tech

4 TOT · 3 SOLO

With N. Joseph Cooney — 49 AVG · 1 IN 20 · 55 LONG · N. Johnson — 4 rec · 87 yds · 1 TD

Game log

Game log · Week-by-week