Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 30-20vs Toledo | 3 | 2 | 1.0 | 1.0 | — | 1 | |
| Wk 2 | W 35-7vs Eastern Michigan | 4 | 1 | 2.0 | 2.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 4 tackles |
| Total | 7 | 3 | 3.0 | 3.0 | — | 1 |
#96
Eli Coenen
Junior defensive lineman for Michigan State. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
6′6″ · 287 lb · Baldwin, WI · Baldwin-Woodville
Transferred Illinois → Michigan State for 2026
The numbers
3
sacks · 2026
3 TFL · 7 tackles · 2 hurries
2 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 2 sacks, 2 TFL, 4 tackles, vs Eastern Michigan
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
3 defensive lineman for Michigan State. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
- Transferred from Illinois to Michigan State in 2026.
Eli Coenen
Disrupts the pocket from the interior. Eli Coenen has played for two head coaches across two seasons and two programs. The receipt on tape: 4 tackles, 2 sacks against Eastern Michigan, Week 2, 2026.
7 TACKLES · 3 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- game log
His career
20257 games
- Entered the portal
2026
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
Career arc
HS
Recruit
—
CFB
College
2 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2025–2026
2 coaches2025
Michigan State
Coaching transition mid-career: Jonathan Smith → Pat Fitzgerald. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
Where He Ended Up · Transfer
Transferred to Michigan State
2025Illinois
2026Michigan State
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2025Illinois9-4HC: Bret Bielema · Run-leaning
2026Michigan State2-0HC: Pat Fitzgerald · Run-heavy, fast tempo
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Elite: sacks (99th percentile). Strength: qb hurries (96th percentile). Concern: tackles (0th 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: 3.5 TKL/g, 1.5 TFL/g, 1.5 SACK/g, 0.5 PD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Pat Fitzgerald
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2025
Backup
Tackle volume for the position at the early end of the ladder.
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Michigan State | 7 | 3 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 1 | -- | -- |
| 2025 | Illinois | 12 | 5 | 1.5 | 1.5 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 19 | 8 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 1 | -- | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 1 · 2026
W 30–20
vs Toledo
3 TOT · 2 SOLO · 1 SACKS
With A. Milivojevic — 247 yds · 1 TD · 0 INT · QBR 87.3 · -5 rush yds (6 car) · C. Mccray — 4 rush yds (1 car)
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Disruptive interior rusher who lives in the backfield.
CFB Index positional classification
DNA match
Player DNA
3-Tech Penetrator
Disruptive interior rusher who lives in the backfield.
IDL
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Landon Jackson’s 2022 season.
82%match
NFL Rd 3 · Pk 8
Matches Landon on
Weight
TFL rate
Sack rate
Differs from Landon on
Class year (lower)
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a freshman, his production profile tracks closest to Bryce Young's freshman season at Notre Dame (2024).
74%match
NFL Rd 1 · Pk 1
Matches Bryce on
Class year
Weight
TFL rate
Differs from Bryce on
Sack rate (higher)
Player DNA
Players who play like Eli Coenen
Background
Transfer defensive lineman from Illinois has two seasons of eligibility remaining . . . played two seasons at Bemidji State (2023-24) and one season at Illinois (2025) . . . has played in 28 career games . . . enrolled at Michigan State in January 2026 for the spring semester. 2025 SEASON (REDSHI...
The defensive line · Michigan State
- #23Kenny Soares Jr.4 tackles for loss · 2025
- #11Anelu Lafaele2 tackles for loss · 2025
- #96Eli Coenen1.5 tackles for loss · 2025
- #13Isaac Smith1 tackle for loss · 2025
- #25Carlos Hazelwood0.5 tackles for loss · 2025
14 more on the roster · Michigan State team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology