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Jersey Number 14
Cole Rusk
- Position:
- Tight End
- Ht./Wt.:
- 6-5 / 245
- Class:
- Sixth Year
- Hometown:
- Rock Island, Ill.
- High School:
- Rock Island HS
- Prev School:
- Illinois
Purchase Jersey
Honors and Awards
- 2024: John Mackey Award watch list
- 2023: All-Missouri Valley Conference Honorable Mention
Illinois 2025 (Redshirt Senior)
- Played in all 13 games in his second season with the Illini
- Tallied 19 receptions for 217 yards and one touchdown
- Scored his only touchdown of the season on Sept. 6 at Duke; came on his first career reception at Illinois
- Notched a season-high five receptions and 68 yards on Oct. 11 versus Ohio State
- Earned a season-long PFF grade of 79.2; included an 81.9 receiving grade
Illinois 2024 (Redshirt Junior)
- Suffered a knee injury during fall camp and missed entire season
Murray State 2023 (Redshirt Sophomore)
- Saw time in 11 games in his lone season at Murray State
- Pulled in 39 receptions for 507 yards and six touchdowns
Eastern Michigan 2022 (Redshirt Freshman)
- Logged time in one game
- Made collegiate debut against Akron
Eastern Michigan 2021 (Freshman)
- Did not play
- Redshirted
High School
- Prepped at Rockridge High School and Rock Island High School
- Three-star recruit as rated by 247Sports
- Tallied 39 receptions for 684 yards and nine touchdowns as a senior in 2020
- Set the school's single-season record for receiving yards by a tight end (684)
- All-Three Rivers Conference's Rock Division First Team
- Also lettered four years in basketball
Personal
- Son of Steve and Joan Rusk
- Father, Steve, lettered in wrestling at Illinois from 1994–95 and was a two-time NCAA Wrestling Championships qualifier
- One sister, Hanna
Thursday, August 20
Tuesday, August 18
Tuesday, August 18
Tuesday, August 18
