2019 Football Roster
Roster
Melifonwu, Ifeatu
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Jersey Number 23
Ifeatu Melifonwu
- Position:
- Defensive Back
- Height:
- 6-3
- Weight:
- 207
- Class:
- Redshirt Sophomore
- Hometown:
- South Grafton, Mass.
- High School:
- Grafton
Bio
Career Overview: Two-year starter who elected to forgo his final year of eligibility and enter the NFL Draft at the conclusion of his redshirt-junior season ... In 29 games (19 starts) at cornerback, has 88 tackles, including 71 solo stops, to go along with 26 passes defended (3 INT, 23 breakups) ... 2020 All-ACC selection ... Voted to the 2019 All-ACC Academic Team ... Three-time ACC Honor Roll selection ... Five-time member of the SU Athletic Director’s Honor Roll ... Redshirted in 2017 ... Three letters.
Junior Year (2020): AP Second Team All-ACC … Third Team All-ACC … Rated as the seventh-best cornerback duo in the FBS with teammate Garrett Williams by Pro Football Focus … Accepted an invitation to the Senior Bowl … Declared for the NFL Draft at the conclusion of the season … Finished the regular season tied sixth in the ACC in passes defended (10) and fifth in breakups (9) … At 5.0 tackles per game, Melifonwu ranked third in the ACC among cornerbacks in tackles per game … Started all-11 games with 55 tackles, 3.0 TFLs, 1.0 sacks, one interception and nine pass breakups on the year … Had five tackles and two pass breakups in the season opener at North Carolina (9/12) … Notched a season-high seven tackles against Georgia Tech (9/26) and then tied it three times later in the season (at Louisville 11/20, NC State 11/28 and at Notre Dame 12/5) … Had a season-high three pass breakups and six tackles at Clemson … Made six tackles against Boston College (11/7) … Tied his career-best seven tackles, had a tackle for loss, an interception and a PBU at Louisville (11/20) … Was named to the Pro Football Focus National Team of the Week following his performance vs. the Cardinals … Made six solo tackles, a sack and a pass breakup vs. NC State (11/28) … Made a career-high seven solo tackles and had a TFL at Notre Dame (12/5). Was also the team’s game captain vs. the Fighting Irish.
Sophomore Year (2019): Played in nine games with eight starts at corner ... Registered 18 tackles (15 solo), including one for lost yardage ... Tied for the Syracuse lead with 10 passes defended, including a team-best eight pass breakups ... Also had two interceptions ... Tied teammate Andre Cisco for third in the ACC in passes defended per game (1.11) ... In the season opener at Liberty (8/31), made his first career start and tied his personal best with six tackles, while intercepting his first career pass and breaking up another, to help the Orange shut out the Flames ... Had two tackles and one pass breakup at Maryland (9/7) ... Made one tackle against Clemson (9/14) ... Missed the Western Michigan (9/21), Holy Cross (9/28) and NC State (10/10) games due to injury ... Returned the lineup in the second half against Pittsburgh (10/18) and logged one tackle ... At Florida State (10/26), made one tackle and broke up two passes ... Collected three tackles versus Boston College (11/2) ... Registered one tackle and two pass breakups at Duke (11/16) ... Credited with a tackle for loss at Louisville (11/23) ... Against Wake Forest (11/30), logged two tackles, one interception and two pass breakups to help the Orange defeat the Demon Deacons 39-30 in overtime ... Named to the All-ACC Academic Team ... ACC Honor Roll selection ... SU Athletic Director’s Honor Roll selection in the fall and spring.
Freshman Year (2018): Played in nine games, missing four due to injury … Tallied 15 tackles (14 solo) … Second on the team with six pass breakups ... Made his collegiate debut at Western Michigan (8/31) … Tallied the first two tackles of his career against Wagner (9/8) … Recorded two tackles at Clemson (9/29) … Saw extended action in place of injured starter Christopher Fredrick versus North Carolina (10/20) and registered four tackles, including one for a loss, and a personal-best four pass breakups ... Two of his pass deflections were on UNC’s final drive of regulation with the score tied 27-27 and the Tar Heels just outside field-goal range ... Notched a career-high six tackles and two pass breakups against NC State (10/27) … Had one tackle against West Virginia in the Camping World Bowl (12/28) ... ACC Honor Roll selection … Named to the Fall 2018 SU Athletic Director’s Honor Roll.
2017: Redshirt season ... ACC Honor Roll selection … Member of the SU Athletic Director’s Honor Roll both semesters.
High School: Running back, receiver and defensive back for head coach Chris McMahon at Grafton ... Fifth-ranked prospect from Massachusetts and the No. 81 athlete in the Class of 2017, according to ESPN … Rated the fourth overall prospect in Massachusetts and 71st nationally among athletes by 247Sports.com … Named to the 2016 American Family Insurance All-USA Massachusetts First Team by USA Today … Two-time Worchester Telegram & Gazette Super Team selection … Named the paper’s Central Massachusetts Division 4 co-Defensive MVP as a junior and the Division 3 Player of the Year as a senior … PrepStar All-East Region choice … Led Grafton to two Central Massachusetts titles, including the Division 3 championship and a state finals appearance in 2016 … As a senior captain, rushed for 1,876 yards and 25 touchdowns, while intercepting two passes on defense … Ran for 237 yards and two scores in Grafton’s state semifinal win against Taconic … Tied the school single-game record with six rushing touchdowns versus Quabbin … Also played basketball, lacrosse and ran track … Captained the basketball team as a junior.
Personal: Ifeatu Charles-David Melifonwu … Born on May 2, 1999 in Boston, Massachusetts … Son of Tina Melifonwu … Three brothers, one sister … Older brother, Obi Melifonwu, played safety at Connecticut from 2013-16 and in the NFL for the Oakland Raiders (2017-18) and New England Patriots (2018-19) … Economics major.
Junior Year (2020): AP Second Team All-ACC … Third Team All-ACC … Rated as the seventh-best cornerback duo in the FBS with teammate Garrett Williams by Pro Football Focus … Accepted an invitation to the Senior Bowl … Declared for the NFL Draft at the conclusion of the season … Finished the regular season tied sixth in the ACC in passes defended (10) and fifth in breakups (9) … At 5.0 tackles per game, Melifonwu ranked third in the ACC among cornerbacks in tackles per game … Started all-11 games with 55 tackles, 3.0 TFLs, 1.0 sacks, one interception and nine pass breakups on the year … Had five tackles and two pass breakups in the season opener at North Carolina (9/12) … Notched a season-high seven tackles against Georgia Tech (9/26) and then tied it three times later in the season (at Louisville 11/20, NC State 11/28 and at Notre Dame 12/5) … Had a season-high three pass breakups and six tackles at Clemson … Made six tackles against Boston College (11/7) … Tied his career-best seven tackles, had a tackle for loss, an interception and a PBU at Louisville (11/20) … Was named to the Pro Football Focus National Team of the Week following his performance vs. the Cardinals … Made six solo tackles, a sack and a pass breakup vs. NC State (11/28) … Made a career-high seven solo tackles and had a TFL at Notre Dame (12/5). Was also the team’s game captain vs. the Fighting Irish.
Sophomore Year (2019): Played in nine games with eight starts at corner ... Registered 18 tackles (15 solo), including one for lost yardage ... Tied for the Syracuse lead with 10 passes defended, including a team-best eight pass breakups ... Also had two interceptions ... Tied teammate Andre Cisco for third in the ACC in passes defended per game (1.11) ... In the season opener at Liberty (8/31), made his first career start and tied his personal best with six tackles, while intercepting his first career pass and breaking up another, to help the Orange shut out the Flames ... Had two tackles and one pass breakup at Maryland (9/7) ... Made one tackle against Clemson (9/14) ... Missed the Western Michigan (9/21), Holy Cross (9/28) and NC State (10/10) games due to injury ... Returned the lineup in the second half against Pittsburgh (10/18) and logged one tackle ... At Florida State (10/26), made one tackle and broke up two passes ... Collected three tackles versus Boston College (11/2) ... Registered one tackle and two pass breakups at Duke (11/16) ... Credited with a tackle for loss at Louisville (11/23) ... Against Wake Forest (11/30), logged two tackles, one interception and two pass breakups to help the Orange defeat the Demon Deacons 39-30 in overtime ... Named to the All-ACC Academic Team ... ACC Honor Roll selection ... SU Athletic Director’s Honor Roll selection in the fall and spring.
Freshman Year (2018): Played in nine games, missing four due to injury … Tallied 15 tackles (14 solo) … Second on the team with six pass breakups ... Made his collegiate debut at Western Michigan (8/31) … Tallied the first two tackles of his career against Wagner (9/8) … Recorded two tackles at Clemson (9/29) … Saw extended action in place of injured starter Christopher Fredrick versus North Carolina (10/20) and registered four tackles, including one for a loss, and a personal-best four pass breakups ... Two of his pass deflections were on UNC’s final drive of regulation with the score tied 27-27 and the Tar Heels just outside field-goal range ... Notched a career-high six tackles and two pass breakups against NC State (10/27) … Had one tackle against West Virginia in the Camping World Bowl (12/28) ... ACC Honor Roll selection … Named to the Fall 2018 SU Athletic Director’s Honor Roll.
2017: Redshirt season ... ACC Honor Roll selection … Member of the SU Athletic Director’s Honor Roll both semesters.
High School: Running back, receiver and defensive back for head coach Chris McMahon at Grafton ... Fifth-ranked prospect from Massachusetts and the No. 81 athlete in the Class of 2017, according to ESPN … Rated the fourth overall prospect in Massachusetts and 71st nationally among athletes by 247Sports.com … Named to the 2016 American Family Insurance All-USA Massachusetts First Team by USA Today … Two-time Worchester Telegram & Gazette Super Team selection … Named the paper’s Central Massachusetts Division 4 co-Defensive MVP as a junior and the Division 3 Player of the Year as a senior … PrepStar All-East Region choice … Led Grafton to two Central Massachusetts titles, including the Division 3 championship and a state finals appearance in 2016 … As a senior captain, rushed for 1,876 yards and 25 touchdowns, while intercepting two passes on defense … Ran for 237 yards and two scores in Grafton’s state semifinal win against Taconic … Tied the school single-game record with six rushing touchdowns versus Quabbin … Also played basketball, lacrosse and ran track … Captained the basketball team as a junior.
Personal: Ifeatu Charles-David Melifonwu … Born on May 2, 1999 in Boston, Massachusetts … Son of Tina Melifonwu … Three brothers, one sister … Older brother, Obi Melifonwu, played safety at Connecticut from 2013-16 and in the NFL for the Oakland Raiders (2017-18) and New England Patriots (2018-19) … Economics major.
Fran Brown Press Conference | Week 3 vs. Colgate
Monday, September 08
Fran Brown Press Conference
Monday, September 08
Fran Brown Postgame Press Conference
Saturday, September 06
Players Postgame vs. UConn
Saturday, September 06
