Receiver, Illinois, 2017–⁠20

Ricky Smalling

Number
No. 4
Height
6′1″
Weight
205 lb
Class (2020)
Senior
Hometown
Chicago, IL

Ricky Smalling played receiver at Illinois (2017–⁠20).

Career highs

8catches, career highat Minnesota, 2017111receiving yards, career highvs. Rutgers, 20172receiving touchdowns, career highvs. Penn State, 2018

Receiving

Receiving yards, season by season, with his team’s record
SeasonTeamRecYdsAvgTDLong
2017Illinois3151016.5276
2018Illinois3340612.3567
2019Illinois242259.4126
Career881,14113.0876

Defense

SeasonTeamTklSoloTFLSacksPDHur
2017Illinois220000
2019Illinois330000
Career550000

Season lines from CollegeFootballData, regular season and bowls.

On the roster

SeasonTeamNo.PosClassHtWt
2017Illinois4WRFr.
2018Illinois4WRSo.
2019Illinois4WRJr.
2020Illinois4WRSr.6′1″205

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
2017Illinois600.3926th (n=507)0.5223.29%
2018Illinois660.2110th (n=497)0.5313.89%
2019Illinois480.155th (n=499)0.547.212%

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 Illinois 7 games, 24 catches, 225 yards, 1 TD
DateOpponentResultRecYdsTDLong
Aug 31vs.AkronW 42–⁠3454022
Sep 7atUConnW 31–⁠23756026
Sep 14vs.Eastern MichiganL 31–⁠34549116
Sep 21vs.NebraskaL 38–⁠42541017
Oct 5atMinnesotaL 17–⁠401606
Oct 12vs.MichiganL 25–⁠42219013
Nov 9atMichigan StateW 37–⁠34––––
2018 Illinois 11 games, 33 catches, 406 yards, 5 TD
DateOpponentResultRecYdsTDLong
Sep 1vs.Kent StateW 31–⁠24370044
Sep 15vs.South FloridaL 19–⁠25440020
Sep 21vs.Penn StateL 24–⁠63223217
Oct 6atRutgersW 38–⁠17217111
Oct 13vs.PurdueL 7–⁠461303
Oct 20atWisconsinL 20–⁠49111011
Oct 27atMarylandL 33–⁠63114014
Nov 3vs.MinnesotaW 55–⁠31486167
Nov 10atNebraskaL 35–⁠54543013
Nov 17vs.IowaL 0–⁠63327016
Nov 24atNorthwesternL 16–⁠24772118
2017 Illinois 11 games, 31 catches, 510 yards, 2 TD
DateOpponentResultRecYdsTDLong
Sep 9vs.Western KentuckyW 20–⁠72809
Sep 15atSouth FloridaL 23–⁠47399076
Sep 29vs.NebraskaL 6–⁠28110010
Oct 7atIowaL 16–⁠45344026
Oct 14vs.RutgersL 24–⁠355111132
Oct 21atMinnesotaL 17–⁠24871122
Oct 28vs.WisconsinL 10–⁠24126026
Nov 4atPurdueL 10–⁠29246042
Nov 11vs.IndianaL 14–⁠24373031
Nov 18atOhio StateL 14–⁠521707
Nov 25vs.NorthwesternL 7–⁠42215011

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

Is this you, or do you know of something wrong or missing here? Suggest a correction. We check each one against a source before changing the page.