Tanner Arkin
American football player (born 2003)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tanner Arkin (born July 7, 2003) is an American college football tight end for the Illinois Fighting Illini of the Big Ten Conference. He previously played for the Colorado State Rams.
Kenosha, Wisconsin, U.S.
| No. 85 – Illinois Fighting Illini | |
|---|---|
| Position | Tight end |
| Class | |
| Personal information | |
| Born | July 7, 2003 Kenosha, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
| Listed weight | 262 lb (119 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Fossil Ridge (Fort Collins, Colorado) |
| College |
|
| Stats at ESPN | |
Early life
Arkin was born in Kenosha, Wisconsin, but his family moved to Fort Collins, Colorado when he was a child.[1] He began playing football at a young age and, as a freshman in high school, was named captain of his team. During his sophomore year, he began playing on varsity, primarily as an outside linebacker instead of his preferred position, tight end.[2][3] Before his junior season, he sustained a broken collarbone which sidelined him for the season.[4] Finally, during his senior season, Arkin sustained a broken fibula during his second game, but continued to play for the remainder of the season.[1] He was considered a two-star prospect coming out of high school and, on May 12, 2020, Arkin committed to play college football for the Colorado State Rams.[5][6]
College career
Colorado State
In his first season at Colorado State, Arkin backed-up Trey McBride.[7] He appeared in three games and took a redshirt for the season.[8] The following season, he was named to the Preseason All-Mountain West list and appeared in every game for the Rams.[7][9]
Illinois
On December 14, 2022, Arkin transferred to Illinois.[6][10][11] In his first season at Illinois, he appeared in every game with three starts.[12] Prior to his redshirt junior season, he was named a team captain.[13][14][15] On August 8, 2025, Arkin was named to the John Mackey Award Watch List as one of the top tight ends in the nation.[16]
College statistics
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Bold | Career high |
Professional career
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | Wingspan | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 3+5⁄8 in (1.92 m) | 262 lb (119 kg) | 32+1⁄4 in (0.82 m) | 10+1⁄8 in (0.26 m) | 6 ft 5+5⁄8 in (1.97 m) | 4.89 s | 1.68 s | 2.78 s | 4.50 s | 7.44 s | 33.5 in (0.85 m) | 9 ft 5 in (2.87 m) | 21 reps |
| All values from Pro Day[17] | ||||||||||||