Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 3 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 42-23vs UAB | 6 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 | Season-high 6 tackles |
| Wk 2 | L 27-31vs Duke | 4 | 1 | 0.5 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 3 | W 48-10vs Southern Illinois | 5 | 2 | 0.5 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 15 | 5 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 |
#26
Ismael Kante
Senior linebacker for Illinois. 2026: 3 games with a box-score line.
6′2″ · 235 lb · Brooklyn Park, MN · Park Center
How he plays
Fills the run lane and blitzes off the edge.
QB hurries: 79th percentile.
The full scouting readThe numbers
15
tackles · 2026 · through week 3
3 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 6 tackles, 1 INT, vs UAB
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
Senior linebacker for Illinois. 2026: 3 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to Illinois in 2025.
Ismael Kante
Fills the run lane and blitzes off the edge. He has spent two seasons in the Illinois linebacker corps. The receipt: 6 tackles, 1 INT against UAB — Week 1, 2026.
15 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- seasons on the roster
- game log
His career
20255 games
- Signed with Illinois3-star out of Iowa Central C.C.
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
Illinois
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Career stats
Game log
Game by game
Ismael Kante'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 game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 3 · 2026
W 48–10
2026 snapshot
Since week 2: +5 tackles, +0.5 tackles for loss.
Season context · Team result + system
2 seasons under Bret Bielema — 11-5 over that span.
2025Illinois9-4HC: Bret Bielema · Run-leaning
2026Illinois2-1HC: Bret Bielema · Balanced, slow tempo
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Concern: solo tackles (21st percentile).
Box-score production (7)
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.
Defensive profile
Defender profile · Production by role
Where his impact shows up on the stat sheet
Tackle volume
15tackles this seasonTFL rate
7%1 TFLSack rate
0%0 sacksPD rate
0%0 pass breakups15 tackles · 1 for loss · 1 interception.
Splits & context
Splits · Per-game
2026 season · 3 games
Home vs Road
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home3g | 5.0 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-73g | 5.0 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Bret Bielema
Pass share
48.8%
81 pass / 85 run
Plays / game
55.3
3 games
Team sack rate
2.2%
91 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Balanced, slow tempo.
Awards
Player standing · 2026
Backup
Tackle volume for the position at the early end of the ladder.
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
How he plays
Play style
Downhill striker who fills the run lane and blitzes off the edge.
CFB Index positional classification
DNA match
Player DNA
Thumper
Downhill striker who fills the run lane and blitzes off the edge.
LB
His 2026 production profile sits closest to Josh Ahern’s 2021 season.
Matches Josh on
Tackle volume
TFL rate
Solo tackle rate
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a sophomore, his production profile tracks closest to Ale Kaho's sophomore season at Alabama (2019).
Matches Ale on
Solo tackle rate
Weight
TFL rate
Differs from Ale on
Hurry rate (higher)
Player DNA
Players who play like Ismael Kante
Background
University of Illinois Graduate Pronunciation: ish-MAYL kan-TAY 2025 - Illinois Played in all 13 games Contributed primarily on special team but played defensive snaps in 10 regular-season contests Eight tackles (three solo), 0.5 tackles for loss, and one pass breakup on the season Two tackles…
The linebacker corps · Illinois
- #45Robert Edmonson47 tackles · 2025
- #24William Holmes45 tackles · 2025
- #10James Kreutz30 tackles · 2025
- #4Daniel Brown11 tackles · 2025
- #26Ismael Kante8 tackles · 2025
10 more on the roster · Illinois team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology