Tight end, Western Michigan, 2016–⁠19

Giovanni Ricci

Number
No. 15
Height
6′3″
Weight
240 lb
Class (2019)
Senior
Hometown
Loveland, OH
Born
Oct 16, 1996

Giovanni Ricci played tight end at Western Michigan (2016–⁠19).

Career highs

8catches, career highat Syracuse, 2019105receiving yards, career highat Syracuse, 20192receiving touchdowns, career highthree times; last at Ohio, 2019

Team titles: MAC champions, 2016

Receiving

Receiving yards, season by season, with his team’s record
SeasonTeamRecYdsAvgTDLong
2017Western Michigan12806.7021
2018Western Michigan3539211.2347
2019Western Michigan5164212.6843
Career981,11411.41147

Defense

SeasonTeamTklSoloTFLSacksPDHur
2016Western Michigan520000
2017Western Michigan220000
2019Western Michigan320000
Career1060000

Season lines from CollegeFootballData, regular season and bowls.

On the roster

SeasonTeamNo.PosClassHtWt
2016Western Michigan15TEFr.
2017Western Michigan15TESo.
2018Western Michigan15TEJr.
2019Western Michigan15TESr.6′3″240

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
2017Western Michigan170.06––1.0–
2018Western Michigan440.5044th (n=497)0.5321.96%
2019Western Michigan870.4534th (n=499)0.5439.49%

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

2019 Western Michigan 13 games, 51 catches, 642 yards, 8 TD
DateOpponentResultRecYdsTDLong
Aug 31vs.MonmouthW 48–⁠13597236
Sep 7atMichigan StateL 17–⁠51653114
Sep 14vs.Georgia StateW 57–⁠10130030
Sep 21atSyracuseL 33–⁠528105124
Sep 28vs.Central MichiganW 31–⁠15365143
Oct 5atToledoL 24–⁠31436118
Oct 12vs.Miami (OH)W 38–⁠16221016
Oct 19atEastern MichiganL 27–⁠34688039
Oct 26vs.Bowling GreenW 49–⁠10556018
Nov 5vs.Ball StateW 35–⁠31133033
Nov 12atOhioW 37–⁠34427216
Nov 26atNorthern IllinoisL 14–⁠1721106
Dec 30 ✦vs.Western KentuckyL 20–⁠2342007
2018 Western Michigan 10 games, 35 catches, 392 yards, 3 TD
DateOpponentResultRecYdsTDLong
Sep 8atMichiganL 3–⁠491808
Sep 15vs.Delaware StateW 68–⁠0577247
Sep 29atMiami (OH)W 40–⁠39449025
Oct 6vs.Eastern MichiganW 27–⁠24230021
Oct 13atBowling GreenW 42–⁠35764024
Oct 20atCentral MichiganW 35–⁠10128028
Oct 25vs.ToledoL 24–⁠51431020
Nov 1vs.OhioL 14–⁠591505
Nov 13atBall StateL 41–⁠42765118
Nov 20vs.Northern IllinoisW 28–⁠21335012
2017 Western Michigan 3 games, 12 catches, 80 yards
DateOpponentResultRecYdsTDLong
Sep 9atMichigan StateL 14–⁠282505
Sep 16vs.IdahoW 37–⁠28766021
Oct 7atBuffaloW 71–⁠6839019
2016 Western Michigan 4 games, 5 tackles
DateOpponentResultRecYdsTDLong
Sep 17atIllinoisW 34–⁠10––––
Oct 15atAkronW 41–⁠0––––
Nov 1atBall StateW 52–⁠20––––
Nov 19vs.BuffaloW 38–⁠0––––

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

Before the draft

DrillPro day 2020
Height6′3⅛″
Weight234 lb
Arm length31⅜″
Hand size9⅛″

Pre-draft measurables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).

In the NFL

4 seasons, 23 games with a stat; latest team: Detroit Lions.

SeasonTeamGRecYdsTD
2021Carolina Panthers8000
2022Carolina Panthers1181000
2023Carolina Panthers2120
2025Detroit Lions2000
NFL career2391020

Regular seasons, from nflverse (CC BY 4.0). G counts games in which the player recorded a stat.

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