Advanced
Computed from every play, garbage time excluded. FBS rank among players with enough volume
| Defense | Value | FBS rank |
|---|---|---|
| Havoc plays | 13 | 2nd / 2575 |
| Tackles for loss | 7 | 33rd / 1913 |
| Run stops | 18 | 126th / 3263 |
| Sacks | 2 | — |
| Pass breakups | 6 | — |
| Interceptions | 0 | — |
| Forced fumbles | 0 | — |
| Tackles | 48 | — |
Charting
Where Melendez's plays went: throw and catch spots, air yards and yards after the catch, read from the play-by-play
The play-by-play names the defender on breakups, interceptions and tackles, but not the man in coverage on every throw, so true times-targeted isn't in the text. Coverage plays is the closest stand-in; exact targets come from hand charting.
Career
2 seasons since 2014 · box-score totals, snap share estimated from play-by-play
| Season | Team | G | Snaps | Tkl | TFL | Sacks | INT | PD | Havoc |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 so far |  Auburn#19 · 4-2 | 6 | 96% | 52 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 13 |
| 2025 | Auburn#40 · 5-7 | 11 | 37% | 29 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
Past seasons are summed from ESPN box scores; success rates and snap shares come from the play-by-play. Elijah Melendez's team rank is that season's final TDC rank. A dash means the stat wasn't recorded.
Game Log
Elijah Melendez's box score, game by game, from ESPN, with a 0–10 game score for each (hover it for how it works). Click a result for the full game
2026 Season Stats
FBS rank among qualifying players
| Defense | 2026 | FBS rank |
|---|---|---|
| Tackles | 52 | 53rd / 5410 |
| Solo | 35 | — |
| Tackles for loss | 9 | 17th / 2452 |
| Sacks | 4 | 41st / 1213 |
| QB hurries | 3 | 157th / 1382 |
| Passes defended | 5 | 31st / 1591 |
| Defensive TD | 0 | — |
| Interceptions | 2026 | FBS rank |
|---|---|---|
| Interceptions | 1 | 110th / 529 |
| Return yards | 13 | — |
| Pick-sixes | 0 | — |
Snaps by Game
Estimated snaps from a model trained on real NFL snap counts. Ranges in brackets are where the real number lands 80% of the time: wide for a single game, tighter over the season. How it works
| Game | Start | Opp. plays | Est. snaps | Plays made | Special teams | Snap share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 · Baylor | ✓ LB | 98 | ~98 (50–98) | 13 | · | 100% |
| Wk 2 · Southern Miss | ✓ LB | 58 | ~55 (28–58) | 6 | · | 95% |
| Wk 3 · Florida | ✓ LB | 75 | ~75 (38–75) | 11 | · | 100% |
| Wk 4 · Vanderbilt | ✓ LB | 75 | ~64 (33–75) | 5 | · | 85% |
| Wk 5 · Tennessee | ✓ LB | 67 | ~63 (32–67) | 9 | · | 94% |
| Wk 7 · Georgia | ✓ LB | 65 | ~65 (33–65) | 11 | 1 | 100% |
| Season | 6 GS | 438 | 420 (352–438) | 55 | 1 | 96% |
Position Room
10 LBs on the Auburn roster, ordered by tkl
| # | Player | Pos | Class | Tkl | TFL | Sacks | INT | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | Elijah Melendez | LB | SO | 52 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 5 |
| 17 | Xavier Atkins | LB | JR | 37 | 7.5 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 16 | Bryce Deas | LB | SO | 23 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 |
| 6 | De'Marcus Riddick | LB | JR | 6 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 |
| 51 | Michael Matthews-Canty | LB | JR | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 |
| 24 | Shadarius Toodle | LB | FR | — | — | — | — | — |
| 42 | Coleman Granberry | LB | JR | — | — | — | — | — |
| 44 | Adam Balogoun-Ali | LB | FR | — | — | — | — | — |
| 45 | Antonio Melendez | LB | JR | — | — | — | — | — |
| 52 | William Grier McDuffie | LB | SO | — | — | — | — | — |
Stats, EPA and usage come from CollegeFootballData.com and refresh daily. FBS ranks only count players with enough volume for the stat to mean something. Qualifying for EPA takes —+ plays per team game. Auburn depth chart →