Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 3 games
| Wk | Opp | REC | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | L 17-29vs Idaho State | 6 | 90 | 15.0 | 1 | 21 | Season-high 90 yds |
| Wk 2 | L 14-16@ Washington | 6 | 53 | 8.8 | 1 | 14 | |
| Wk 3 | L 0-33@ Utah | 4 | 47 | 11.8 | 0 | 18 | |
| Total | 16 | 190 | 11.9 | 2 | 21 |
#7
Eli Wood
Eli Wood chose Utah State out of the portal; now both sides find out if they chose right.
6′2″ · 210 lb · Lynchburg, VA
CFB Index 30 · #412 of 485 WRsHigh confidenceTransferred Virginia → Utah State for 2026
CFB Index
A single number blending on-field production (an EPA-based value lane) with box-score output for this player's position.
0-100, scaled within each position's own cohort — not directly comparable across positions.
The numbers
190
receiving yards · 2026 · through week 3
3 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 6 rec, 53 yds, 1 TD, at Washington
The play that turned itSwung Virginia from 17% to 80% to win.Duke at Virginia · 27-20
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
Senior wide receiver for Utah State. 2026: 3 games with a box-score line.
- Transferred from Virginia to Utah State in 2026.
Eli Wood
Filling the Shoesas of 2026-09-22
Eli Wood arrives at Utah State with a new fit to prove and an old chapter behind him.
190REC YDS16REC2REC TD
Read the story so far
AI-generated narrative · may contain errors · not journalism · updated 2026-09-22
His career
5 programs, one constant: he played.
20263 games
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
Career arc
HS
Recruit
—
CFB
College
2 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2022–2026
3 coaches2022–2023
Utah State
2024era →
Nate Dreiling
Utah State
Played under 3 different head coaches: Blake Anderson, Nate Dreiling, and Bronco Mendenhall. Multi-era developmental context.
Where He Ended Up · Transfer
Transferred to Utah State
2025Virginia
2026Utah State
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Utah State | 16 | 190 | 11.9 | 2 | -- |
| 2025 | Virginia | 16 | 205 | 12.8 | 2 | -- |
| 2024 | Virginia | 3 | 15 | 5.0 | 0 | -- |
| 2023 | Virginia | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 2022 | Virginia | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 35 | 410 | 11.7 | 4 | -- |
| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Utah State | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 2025 | Virginia | 1 | 3 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2024 | Virginia | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 2023 | Virginia | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 2022 | Virginia | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 1 | 3 | -- | -- | -- |
Game log
Game by game
Eli Wood's 2026 production
Point color shows the opponent's defensive strength that week (red = weaker defense, blue = stronger) — dashed line is this player's own season average.
Signature plays
Signature plays · top plays by |EPA|
The plays that mattered most
- Week 1 · Idaho State · 2&14 · Q4 · EPA +3.18(12:34) No Huddle-Shotgun #2 M.Hillstead pass complete short middle to #7 E.Wood caught at USU46, for 21 yards to the ISU45 (#2 T.Shorty; #46 R.Holt), 1ST DOWN
- Week 1 · Idaho State · 2&12 · Q1 · EPA +2.97Eli Wood 15 Yd pass from McCae Hillstead (Kian Afrookhteh Kick)
- Week 2 · Washington · 3&7 · Q4 · EPA +2.88(01:56) Shotgun #9 G.Brosterhous pass complete short right to #7 E.Wood caught at WASH00, for 7 yards to the WASH00 TOUCHDOWN, clock 01:50 #19 K.Afrookhteh kick attempt good (H: #3 L.Rehkow, LS: #55 H.Hatch)
- Week 1 · Idaho State · 3&12 · Q3 · EPA +2.53(06:34) No Huddle-Shotgun #2 M.Hillstead pass complete short right to #7 E.Wood caught at ISU25, for 15 yards to the ISU24 (#26 K.Callen), 1ST DOWN
- Week 1 · Idaho State · 3&7 · Q3 · EPA +2.49(12:08) No Huddle-Shotgun #2 M.Hillstead pass complete short left to #7 E.Wood caught at ISU42, for 12 yards to the ISU37 (#26 K.Callen), 1ST DOWN
- Week 2 · Washington · 3&12 · Q1 · EPA +2.16(14:07) No Huddle-Shotgun #9 G.Brosterhous pass complete short middle to #7 E.Wood caught at USU35, for 14 yards to the USU37 (#6 D.Robinson), 1ST DOWN
- Week 3 · Utah · 3&14 · Q2 · EPA +2.12(03:34) No Huddle-Shotgun #9 G.Brosterhous pass complete short right to #7 E.Wood caught at USU35, for 15 yards to the USU36 (#10 T.Reynolds), 1ST DOWN
- Week 1 · Idaho State · 2&10 · Q1 · EPA +1.80(01:20) No Huddle-Shotgun #2 M.Hillstead pass complete short left to #7 E.Wood caught at USU37, for 14 yards to the USU37, End Of Play, 1ST DOWN
- Week 3 · Utah · 3&3 · Q2 · EPA +1.76(13:26) No Huddle-Shotgun #9 G.Brosterhous pass complete short right to #7 E.Wood caught at USU39, for 10 yards to the USU39 (#23 J.Bennee; #11 E.Reed), 1ST DOWN
- Week 3 · Utah · 1&10 · Q4 · EPA +1.67(13:06) No Huddle-Shotgun #9 G.Brosterhous pass complete short left to #7 E.Wood caught at USU45, for 18 yards to the USU46 (#5 J.Chenault Jr.), 1ST DOWN
2026 snapshot
Since week 2: +47 receiving yards, +4 catches.
Season context · Team result + system
2022Virginia3-7HC: Tony Elliott · Balanced
2023Virginia3-9HC: Tony Elliott · Run-leaning
2024Virginia5-7HC: Tony Elliott · Balanced
2025Virginia11-3HC: Tony Elliott · Balanced
2026Utah State0-3HC: Bronco Mendenhall · Balanced
Where this profile ranks vs the WR cohort
Box-score + play-by-play EPA percentiles
High confidence
Concern: explosive rate (11th percentile).
Real play-by-play efficiency
Box-score rates (5)
Season trend
Last seasonThis season
EPA / target
89th → 58th percentile
Explosive rate
69th → 11th percentile
Catch rate
41st → 19th percentile
TD rate
75th → 50th percentile
Yards / catch
61st → 39th percentile
Percentiles versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season. Most bars are box-score rates; EPA / success-rate bars are computed from real play-by-play (offense only — no defensive EPA model exists yet).
Receiving profile
Receiver profile · Targets, catch rate, and throw depth
How often he's targeted, and how well it works
16 of 16 receptions matched to play-by-play
26 of 27 targets charted for true throw depth
Targets
2733% of team targetsCatch rate
59%16 of 27 targetsShort · 0–9 air yds
50% of targets (13)
62%catch rate
Air 4.7 · YAC 2.5 avg
Middle · 10–19 air yds
46% of targets (12)
58%catch rate
Air 13.3 · YAC 2.0 avg
Deep · 20+ air yds
4% of targets (1)
0%catch rate
Air 21.0 avg
59% catch rate on 27 targets · 33% of the team's targets.
Splits & context
Splits · Per-game
2026 season · 3 games
Home vs Road
| REC/g | YDS/g | YPR | TD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home1g | 6.0 | 90.0 | 15.0 | 1.0 |
| Road2g | 5.0 | 50.0 | 10.3 | 0.5 |
First half vs Second half
| REC/g | YDS/g | YPR | TD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-73g | 5.3 | 63.3 | 11.9 | 0.7 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Bronco Mendenhall
Pass share
54.3%
121 pass / 102 run
Plays / game
74.3
3 games
Team sack rate
8.3%
120 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Balanced.
Awards
Player standing · 2026
Backup
On the two-deep and pushing for snaps.
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
How he plays
Play style
Moves the chains on third down.
CFB Index positional classification
DNA match
Player DNA
Possession Receiver
Reliable target who converts on critical downs. Not flashy; consistently productive.
WR
His 2026 production profile sits closest to Kyren Lacy’s 2020 season.
Matches Kyren on
Total EPA (college ability)
Height
EPA / play (adj)
Through 2 college seasons, his career arc tracks closest to Kobe Clark’s path through Abilene Christian.
Kobe Clark
99%match
#2
Joshua Harris
99%
#4
Justin Perry
96%
Matches Kobe on
Yards per reception
As a graduate, his production profile tracks closest to Julian Fleming's graduate season at Penn State (2024).
Matches Julian on
Total EPA (college ability)
Reception volume
Weight
Differs from Julian on
EPA / play (adj) (lower)
TD rate (higher)
Player DNA
Players who play like Eli Wood
The receiver room · Utah State
- Javon Robinson599 receiving yards · 2025
- #1Anthony Garcia348 receiving yards · 2025
- #7Eli Wood205 receiving yards · 2025
- #7Kahanu Davis160 receiving yards · 2025
- #15Ty Olsen14 receiving yards · 2025
15 more on the roster · Utah State team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology