Tight end, Illinois (from Ball State), 2023–26
Christian Abney
Lettered 2023–24 at Ball State (school media guide)
- Number
- No. 86
- Height
- 6′6″
- Weight
- 255 lb
- Class (2026)
- Senior
- Hometown
- Zionsville, IN
Christian Abney plays tight end for Illinois, after Ball State (2023–24). Last time out, at Ohio State: 1 catch, 6 yards.
2026 so far
3 catches, 13 yards
Last game: 1 catch, 6 yards at Ohio State, L 19–42
Next game: vs. Oregon, Oct 24
Filled bars: wins; outlined: losses.
Receiving
* The season in progress, so far.
| Season | Team | Rec | Yds | Avg | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Ball State | 3 | 16 | 5.3 | 0 | 10 |
| 2024 | Ball State | 5 | 50 | 10.0 | 1 | 22 |
| 2025 | Illinois | 1 | 12 | 12.0 | 0 | 12 |
| 2026 | Illinois | 3 | 13 | 4.3 | 0 | 6 |
| Career | 12 | 91 | 7.6 | 1 | 22 | |
Season lines from CollegeFootballData, regular season and bowls.
On the roster
| Season | Team | No. | Pos | Class | Ht | Wt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Ball State | 86 | TE | Fr. | ||
| 2024 | Ball State | 86 | TE | So. | ||
| 2025 | Illinois | 86 | TE | Jr. | ||
| 2026 | Illinois | 86 | TE | Sr. | 6′6″ | 255 |
As each season’s roster listed the player (CollegeFootballData). Classes before the latest listing are counted back from it; “Yr 1” is the year on file where that count can’t place a season he played (a redshirt, transfer or 2020 year); height and weight as last listed.
Per play
| Season | Team | Plays | EPA/play | Pctile | Median | Total | Usage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Ball State | 3 | 0.81 | – | – | 2.4 | – |
| 2024 | Ball State | 6 | 0.73 | – | – | 4.4 | – |
| 2025 | Illinois | 1 | 0.92 | – | – | 0.9 | – |
| 2026 | Illinois | 3 | -0.18 | – | – | -0.5 | – |
Expected points added: how much the player’s plays moved the team’s expected score, per play and in total. Plays: total EPA divided by EPA per play, the plays the source credits to him (for a receiver roughly his catches and runs, not every target; for a passer, not every attempt), so it can differ from attempts plus carries. Percentile: against the position’s regulars that season across all divisions on file (quarterbacks with 150+ plays, backs 60+, receivers and tight ends 30+), with how many there were (n) and their median; a dash means too few plays to rank. A season in progress uses the full-season bar scaled by games played, never below 75 plays for quarterbacks, 30 for backs and 20 for receivers. The cohort grows or shrinks with the source’s coverage each season (2025 lists far more players), so compare percentiles rather than raw EPA across years. FCS seasons are marked. Usage: the share of the team’s plays the player was part of (shown from 20 plays). From CollegeFootballData, 2013 on.
Game by game
2026 Illinois 3 games, 3 catches, 13 yards
| Date | Opponent | Result | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 12 | vs. Duke | L 27–31 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Sep 19 | vs. Southern Illinois | W 48–10 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| Sep 26 | at Ohio State | L 19–42 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
2025 Illinois 1 game, 1 catch, 12 yards
| Date | Opponent | Result | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 27 | vs. USC | W 34–32 | 1 | 12 | 0 | 12 |
2024 Ball State 4 games, 5 catches, 50 yards, 1 TD
| Date | Opponent | Result | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 14 | at Miami | L 0–62 | 1 | 11 | 0 | 11 |
| Oct 5 | vs. Western Michigan | L 42–45 | 1 | 22 | 1 | 22 |
| Oct 26 | vs. Northern Illinois | W 25–23 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 9 |
| Nov 5 | vs. Miami (OH) | L 21–27 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 5 |
2023 Ball State 3 games, 3 catches, 16 yards
| Date | Opponent | Result | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 30 | atWestern Michigan | L 24–42 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| Oct 7 | at Eastern Michigan | L 10–24 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Nov 1 | at Bowling Green | L 21–24 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 10 |
Box scores from CollegeFootballData, 2004 on. ✦ postseason; ★ a career high on file.
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