Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | L 9-19@ South Florida | 3 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | Season-high 3 tackles |
| Wk 2 | W 33-20vs Buffalo | 3 | 1 | 0.5 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 6 | 2 | 0.5 | 0.0 | — | 1 |
#7
Jai-Ayviauynn Celestine
Senior defensive back on Florida International's 2026 roster.
5′9″ · 175 lb · Miami, FL
CFB Index 40 · #232 of 364 cornersLow confidenceReturning to Florida International 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.
Recruiting
3★
ATH recruit
No. 1316 nationally · Signed with Arizona
No college snaps yet.
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 defensive back on Florida International's 2026 roster.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to Arizona in 2022.
- Transferred from Arizona to Florida International in 2025.
Jai-Ayviauynn Celestine
Erases the deep middle of the field. Jai-Ayviauynn Celestine has played for three head coaches across four seasons and two programs. The receipt: 3 tackles, 0.5 TFL against Buffalo — Week 2, 2026.
6 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- game log
His career
He was on the field for 4 seasons. That is rarer than it sounds.
2022
- Signed with Arizona3-star out of Miami Palmetto
202511 games
- Entered the portal
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
2 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2023–2026
2 coaches2023–2024
Florida International
2025–2026era →
Willie Simmons
Florida International
Coaching transition mid-career: Mike MacIntyre → Willie Simmons. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2023Arizona10-3HC: Jedd Fisch · Balanced
2024Arizona4-8HC: Brent Brennan · Pass-leaning
2025Florida International7-6HC: Willie Simmons · Balanced
2026Florida International1-1HC: Willie Simmons · Pass-leaning, fast tempo
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Low confidence
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: 3.0 TKL/g, 0.2 TFL/g, 0.0 SACK/g, 0.5 PD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Willie Simmons
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2025
Rotational
Tackle volume for the position in rotation-piece range.
Recognition
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Production · CFB Index Score
40 · #232 of 364 corners
Three-star recruit. Now #232 at the position.
2026 outlook
Outside shot for All-Conference USA
Based on 2025: #31 of 43 Conference USA DBs
How the All-Conference USA estimate is computed
15% estimated, 95% confidence interval 13–17%. Base rate measured from players who finished at a comparable rank in their conference and came back the next season. It is an estimate from a small sample, not a forecast of this player.
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Florida International | 6 | 2 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 1 | -- | -- |
| 2025 | Florida International | 17 | 13 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 3 | 1 | -- |
| 2024 | Arizona | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 2023 | Arizona | 3 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | -- | -- |
| Career | 26 | 16 | 1.5 | 0.0 | 5 | 1 | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 2 · 2026
W 33–20
vs Buffalo
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Single-high range who erases the deep middle of the field.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Florida International
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Defensive back · Florida International
Returning around him
- Transfer portal: -5 net (17 in / 22 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Florida International · Last season: 7-6 · Talent rank #90 · 2026 recruiting class #102
DNA match
Player DNA
Centerfielder
Single-high range who erases the deep middle of the field.
S
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Daytione Smith’s 2022 season.
Matches Daytione on
PD rate
Height
Tackle volume
Differs from Daytione on
TFL rate (higher)
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Brandon Cisse's junior season at South Carolina (2025).
84%match
NFL Rd 2 · Pk 20
Matches Brandon on
Class year
TFL rate
PD rate
Player DNA
Players who play like Jai-Ayviauynn Celestine
The secondary · Florida International
- #1Shamir Sterlin62 tackles · 2025
- #4Wesley Miller53 tackles · 2025
- #3Demetrius Hill19 tackles · 2025
- #7Jai-Ayviauynn Celestine17 tackles · 2025
- #10Ormond Wallace12 tackles · 2025
14 more on the roster · Florida International team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology