University of Connecticut Athletics
2023 Football Roster
Jelani Stafford
- Position:
- Defensive Line
- Class:
- Junior
- Height:
- 6-0
- Weight:
- 303
- Hometown:
- Brownsville, PA
- High School:
- California Area
- Prev School:
- Youngstown State
Named to the 2025 East-West Shrine Bowl 1000 Watch List
2023: Appeared in all 12 games with 12 starts on the defensive line...Posted a career best 40 tackles including 28 solo stops, second among the team's defensive linemen...Had 8.0 tackles for a loss and a half sack...Forced two fumble recoveries and had two pass break-ups...Was a dual threat for the Huskies, rushing in short yardage situations...Finished with 15 carries for 22 yards and a team-best six touchdowns on the goal line...Had seven tackles, five solo, vs. USF (Oct 21)...Posted five tackles and half a sack at Georgia State (9/9)...Had a season-high five carries for 11 yards and two touchdowns at home against Utah State (Sept 30)...Recovered a fumble and also scored two goal line touchdowns in a win at Rice (Oct 7)...Scored his first career touchdown at home vs FIU (Sept 16).
2022: Played in all 13 games with nine starts...Made 28 tackles including 3.0 for a loss and 2.0 sacks...Posted a season-best six tackles, two for a loss with a sack against Syracuse (Sept 10)...Had two tackles with a sack in a home win over Fresno State (Oct 1)...Made three tackles in a home upset over No. 19 Liberty (Nov 12)...Made four tackles at Army West Point (Nov 19).
PRIOR TO UCONN; Was at Youngstown State for three seasons...Redshirted as a freshman in 2019 then played in 16 games over the next two years...Finished with 14 tackles, 10 solo, with 2.0 for a loss and a forced fumble in his career...Played in all 10 games in 2021, making one start…Had 13 total tackles, including nine solo stops…Had three solo tackles and forced a fumble against North Dakota State…Credited with three solo tackles at North Dakota…Had two tackles at Michigan State and two at UNI.
HIGHÂ SCHOOL:Â Played defensive tackle and running back...rushed for more than 1,000 yards as a senior...California earned a share of the Tri-County South Conference championship...played defensive tackle for the first time as a senior...as a junior, was a Class 1A Pennsylvania Football Writers all-state pick as a running back...rushed for 1,608 yards and 28 touchdowns as a junior...Trojans reached the WPIAL semifinals in 2017...coach was Darrin Dillow.
