Tight end, Arizona (from Eastern Michigan, Murray State, Illinois), 2021–⁠26

Cole Rusk

Lettered 2025 at Illinois (school media guide)

Number
No. 14
Height
6′5″
Weight
245 lb
Class (2026)
Senior
Hometown
Rock Island, IL

Cole Rusk plays tight end for Arizona, after Eastern Michigan (2021–⁠22), Murray State (2023) and Illinois (2024–⁠25). Last time out, against Northern Illinois: 3 catches, 25 yards.

2026 so far

6 catches, 86 yards

Last game: 3 catches, 25 yards vs. Northern Illinois, W 42–⁠17

Next game: vs. Iowa State, Oct 24

Game by game this season, receiving yards
  1. 13NAU
  2. 48@BYU
  3. 25NIU

Filled bars: wins; outlined: losses.

Career highs

7catches, career highat Missouri State, 202394receiving yards, career highvs. Youngstown State, 20232receiving touchdowns, career highvs. North Dakota, 2023

Receiving

Receiving yards, season by season, with his team’s record

* The season in progress, so far.

SeasonTeamRecYdsAvgTDLong
2023Murray State3951213.1647
2025Illinois1921711.4127
2026Arizona68614.3034
Career6481512.7747

Season lines from CollegeFootballData, regular season and bowls.

On the roster

SeasonTeamNo.PosClassHtWt
2021Eastern Michigan14TE
2022Eastern Michigan14TERS
2023Murray State14TEFr.
2024Illinois14TESo.
2025Illinois14TEJr.
2026Arizona14TESr.6′5″245

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

SeasonTeamPlaysEPA/playPctileMedianTotalUsage
2023Murray State (FCS)321.2694th (n=681)0.8040.37%
2025Illinois250.78––19.44%
2026Arizona71.22––8.5–

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 Arizona 3 games, 6 catches, 86 yards
DateOpponentResultRecYdsTDLong
Sep 5vs.Northern ArizonaW 35–⁠7113013
Sep 12atBYUL 17–⁠28248034
Sep 19vs.Northern IllinoisW 42–⁠17325011
2025 Illinois 8 games, 19 catches, 217 yards, 1 TD
DateOpponentResultRecYdsTDLong
Sep 6atDukeW 45–⁠191818
Sep 13vs.Western MichiganW 38–⁠01−10−1
Sep 20atIndianaL 10–⁠63221014
Sep 27vs.USCW 34–⁠32117017
Oct 11vs.Ohio StateL 16–⁠34568020
Oct 25atWashingtonL 25–⁠42456027
Nov 15vs.MarylandW 24–⁠621509
Nov 22atWisconsinL 10–⁠27333013
2023 Murray State 11 games, 39 catches, 512 yards, 6 TD
DateOpponentResultRecYdsTDLong
Sep 2vs.PresbyterianW 41–⁠10249032
Sep 7atLouisvilleL 0–⁠561606
Sep 16atMiddle TennesseeL 14–⁠35683144
Sep 30vs.Indiana StateW 30–⁠28358137
Oct 7atSouth DakotaL 7–⁠38216010
Oct 14vs.Southern IllinoisL 6–⁠271500
Oct 21atMissouri StateL 24–⁠28788126
Oct 28atNorth Dakota StateL 6–⁠3841706
Nov 4vs.North DakotaL 31–⁠45352223
Nov 11atIllinois StateL 7–⁠44644011
Nov 18vs.Youngstown StateL 17–⁠34494147

Box scores from CollegeFootballData, 2004 on. ✦ postseason; ★ a career high on file.

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