Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 56-7vs Lafayette | 5 | 4 | 1.0 | 1.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 2 | L 14-38vs Maryland | 7 | 2 | 0.5 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 7 tackles |
| Total | 12 | 6 | 1.5 | 1.0 | — | 0 |
#44
John Lista
Senior linebacker for UConn. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
6′2″ · 220 lb · Fair Haven, NJ · Rumson-Fair Haven HS
Returning to UConn for 2026
The numbers
12
tackles · 2026
1.5 TFL · 1 sacks
2 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 5 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 sacks, vs Lafayette
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 linebacker for UConn. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
- Signed with Pennsylvania in 2022.
John Lista
One game to point at: 7 tackles, 0.5 TFL against Maryland — Week 2, 2026.
12 TACKLES · 1 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- game log
His career
2022
- Signed with Pennsylvaniaout of Rumson-Fair Haven
Career arc
HS
Recruit
—
CFB
College
UConn
NFL
NFL Draft
—
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2026UConn1-1HC: Jason Candle · Run-leaning
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Elite: sacks (87th percentile). Strength: qb hurries (83rd 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: 6.0 TKL/g, 0.8 TFL/g, 0.5 SACK/g, 0.0 PD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Jason Candle
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2026
Backup
On the two-deep and pushing for snaps.
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | UConn | 12 | 6 | 1.5 | 1.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 12 | 6 | 1.5 | 1.0 | -- | -- | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 1 · 2026
W 56–7
vs Lafayette
5 TOT · 4 SOLO · 1 SACKS
Dominant 49-point win at home against Lafayette.
With K. Osborne — 265 yds · 2 TD · 1 INT · 90 rush yds (8 car) · 2 TD · T. Warner — 43 AVG · 1 IN 20 · 44 LONG
Game log
How he plays
2026 Outlook
UConn
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Linebacker · UConn
Returning around him
- 1 UConn player drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: +8 net (53 in / 45 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
UConn · Last season: 9-4 · Talent rank #73 · 2026 recruiting class #110
Background
Prior to UConn: Lista spent the last four seasons at Penn. In 2025 he played nine games and finished with 78 tackles (47 solo tackles), adding six tackles for loss and two sacks. He had five hurries, five pass breakups and one fumble recovered. Over his Penn career he played in 26 games, totaling...
The linebacker corps · UConn
- K'Von Sherman93 tackles · 2025
- #20Luke Murphy36 tackles · 2025
- #9Zakaih Saez13 tackles · 2025
- #5Rickey Williams11 tackles · 2025
- #44John Lista2 games · 2026
10 more on the roster · UConn team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology