#20

Obi Melifonwu

Former safety at UConn. 2016: 4 interceptions, 3 pass breakups, 118 tackles.

S · UConn · #20

6′3″ · South Grafton, MA

Las Vegas — drafted 2017, Rd 2, Pick 24, #56 overall

Recruiting

3★

S recruit

No. 1419 nationally · Signed with UConn

Statement game24 tackles · 0.5 TFLvs Tulane (FBS) · L 13-38

Top 0.1% tackles game since 2021.

His career numbers, season by season

The story

Former safety at UConn. 2016: 4 interceptions, 3 pass breakups, 118 tackles.

Signed as a 3-star recruit to UConn in 2012.
Drafted round 2 by the Las Vegas in 2017.

His career, year by year

How it ended

Two seasons at UConn, 118 tackles — drafted at #56 overall by Las Vegas.

His career

2012

Signed with UConn3-star out of Grafton Memorial Senior

2017

Drafted by Las Vegasround 2, pick 56

Career arc

Recruit

★★★

#1419 national

CFB

College

UConn

2015–2016

NFL

NFL Draft

R2 · #56

Las Vegas · 2017

Where He Ended Up · NFL

Las VegasEntering 10th NFL season

#56Rd 2 · Pick 24

Las VegasEntering 10th NFL season

View college career stats ↓

2016 snapshot

Season context · Team result + system

2 seasons under Bob Diaco — 9-16 over that span.

2015UConn6-7HC: Bob Diaco · Run-leaning

2016UConn3-9HC: Bob Diaco · Balanced

Where this defender ranks vs the field

Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort

8 metrics · season cumulative

Elite: solo tackles (100th percentile). Strength: tackles (99th percentile). Concern: sacks (25th percentile).

Box-score production (8)

Solo tackles#7 / 2668 · 100th pct

Tackles#15 / 2668 · 99th pct

118

Interceptions#28 / 763 · 94th pct

Passes defended#513 / 2668 · 76th pct

Tackles for loss#1166 / 2668 · 53rd pct

2.5

Forced fumbles#77 / 736 · 45th pct

QB hurries#1174 / 2668 · 28th pct

Sacks#1331 / 2668 · 25th pct

0.0

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

2016 season · 12 games

Home/Road · Season halves

Home vs Road

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Home7g	9.9	0.1	0.0	0.3
Road5g	9.8	0.3	0.0	0.2

First half vs Second half

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Weeks 1-77g	8.1	0.1	0.0	0.3
Weeks 8+5g	12.2	0.4	0.0	0.2

Supporting cast · Scheme

Staff and system around the player

2026 season

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 · 2016

Impact starter

Producing measurably more than a replacement-level starter.

Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex

Career stats

Season	Team
2016	UConn	118	73	2.5	0.0	3	4	--
2015	UConn	--	--	--	--	--	2	--
Career		118	73	2.5	0.0	3	6	--

Signature game

SIGNATURE GAME · Week 1 · 2016

W 24–21

vs Maine

4 TOT · 2 SOLO

A wire-to-wire battle — won by 3 at home.

With B. Shirreffs — 162 yds · 0 TD · 0 INT · QBR 71.5 · 95 rush yds (20 car) · J. Wain — 42 AVG · 51 LONG · 5 NO

Game log

Game log · Week-by-week