Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 3 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 42-23vs UAB | 2 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 2 | L 27-31vs Duke | 4 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | Season-high 4 tackles |
| Wk 3 | W 48-10vs Southern Illinois | 3 | 2 | 0.5 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 9 | 6 | 0.5 | 0.0 | — | 1 |
#1
Xavier Scott
Senior defensive back on Illinois's 2026 roster.
5′11″ · 195 lb · Riviera Beach, FL · Dwyer
CFB Index 88 · #15 of 327 cornersLow confidence
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★
CB recruit
No. 1376 nationally · Signed with Illinois
Last played in 2026.
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
Senior defensive back on Illinois's 2026 roster.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to Illinois in 2022.
Buzz vs Tape
Fans hotter than the country
His own fans read him warmer than the wider college football conversation does — a gap of 16 points in belief.
29.3own fans
13.3national conversation
Xavier Scott
Hits like a linebacker and still takes the ball away. He has spent five seasons in the Illinois secondary. 2024 brought the first one: All-Big Ten. One game to point at: 4 tackles against Duke — Week 2, 2026.
9 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- seasons on the roster
- recognition record
- game log
His career
Nobody recruited him. He earned the honors anyway.
20223 games
- Signed with Illinois3-star out of Dwyer
202412 games
The role got bigger.
- All-Big Tenfirst
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
Illinois
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Trophy case · Confirmed honors
What the selectors said
🥈
ALL-BIG TEN · 1ST TEAM
All-Big Ten 1st team (2024)
Coaching lineage · 2022–2026
1 coach2022–2026
Illinois
Played his entire career under Bret Bielema.
Career stats
Game log
Game by game
Xavier Scott'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: +3 tackles, +0.5 tackles for loss.
Season context · Team result + system
5 seasons under Bret Bielema — 34-20 over that span.
2022Illinois8-5HC: Bret Bielema · Run-leaning
2023Illinois5-7HC: Bret Bielema · Balanced
2024Illinois10-3HC: Bret Bielema · Run-leaning, slow tempo
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
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
2026 season · 3 games
Home vs Road
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home3g | 3.0 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.3 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-73g | 3.0 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.3 |
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
On the two-deep and pushing for snaps.
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
How he plays
Play style
Hits like a linebacker and still takes the ball away.
CFB Index positional classification
DNA match
Player DNA
Rover
Hits like a linebacker and still takes the ball away.
S
His 2024 production profile sits closest to Donte Kent’s 2023 season.
91%match
All-MACNFL Rd 7
Matches Donte on
PD rate
Weight
Tackle volume
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Markevious Brown's junior season at Purdue (2023).
87%match
Matches Markevious on
Class year
PD rate
Tackle volume
Player DNA
Players who play like Xavier Scott
Background
Pronunciation: EX-ay-veer University of Illinois Graduate 2024 Phil Steele All-America Honorable Mention Two-Time All-Big Ten 2026 - Illinois Team Captain Athlon Preseason All-Big Ten Third Team Announced his return to Illinois on Jan. 15, 2026 2025 - Illinois Played and started the first three…
The secondary · Illinois
- #7Matthew Bailey76 tackles · 2025
- #22Deuce Fillmore39 tackles · 2025
- #16Tanner Heckel36 tackles · 2025
- #6Jaheim Clarke30 tackles · 2025
- #1Xavier Scott6 tackles · 2025
16 more on the roster · Illinois team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology