Illinois Fighting Illini#16 · DB Tanner Heckel
87 Overall rating steady- Height
- 5-11
- Weight
- 195 lb
- Class
- Junior
- Hometown
- Lyndon, KS
Tanner Heckel is a DB (#16) for Illinois, from Lyndon, KS. In the 2026 season he has 8 tackles over 4 games. Season-by-season stats and the game log are below.
Skill profile
Production
Tackles 15
Sacks 10
Interceptions 9
Passes defensed 15
Forced fumbles 3
Splash plays 10
Efficiency
Tackles per game 12
Sack rate 9
Coverage 15
Ball-hawking 9
Run defense 15
Havoc rate 13
Measurables
Height 4
Weight 6
Frame 5
Experience 13
How we rate The BIG10.CO skill model methodology & sources
Every rating is produced by our own model. Not a vendor score. Each skill is graded 0-20 by where a player ranks against others at his position, and the Overall is a position-normalized rating where an elite player tops out near 96 (a rare 97 plus is reserved for all-time greats) so a cornerback and a receiver read on the same scale. Ratings are built through week 6 of the 2026 season and refreshed every week through the season, so the ▲/▼ beside the Overall is the genuine move since last week.
- Data. Real box-score production from CollegeFootballData, drawn from official game stats.
- Method. Each stat is turned into a within-position percentile, then blended across a player's recent seasons, weighted by games played so recent, full seasons lead and an injury year does not sink the score.
- People. Compiled by The BIG10.CO Desk and checked by Coverage Review against the official book.
- Updates. Recomputed on Mondays once the week's games are final. Corrections are logged in our editorial & corrections policy.
2026 season
8
Tackles
0.0
Sacks
0
Interceptions
2
Tackles for loss
1
Passes defended
0
Forced fumbles
Tanner Heckel career stats by year
| Season | Tm | G | Tackles | Sacks | INT | PD | FF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | ILL | 4 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2025 | ILL | 13 | 36 | 1.5 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 2024 | ILL | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 20 | 47 | 1.5 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
Season totals, 2024 to 2026. Source: CollegeFootballData.
Schedule and results
Status
Result
Season
24
10
31
23
28
13
32
0
3
17
25
7
9
17
0No games match these filters.
Box score log
| Date | Opp | Result | TKL | SACK |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 3 | vs Purdue | L 17-24 | 2 | 0 |
| Sep 26 | at Ohio State | L 19-42 | 1 | 0 |
| Sep 19 | vs Southern Illinois | W 48-10 | 4 | 0 |
| Sep 12 | vs Duke | L 27-31 | 1 | 0 |
Career timeline
- NowIllinois DB: #16
- ClassJunior
- HometownLyndon, KS
Tanner Heckel: Illinois DB profile and stats
Tanner Heckel is a DB (#16) for Illinois, from Lyndon, KS. This profile tracks Tanner Heckel's season stats, skill ratings and game log through the 2026 season, and links straight into the Illinois roster, the Big Ten players hub and the conference schedule. To see where Illinois sits in the race, check the live Big Ten standings.
Tanner Heckel in the news
All newsRecapIllinois beat Southern Illinois 48-10 (Week 3, 2026)Illinois beat Southern Illinois 48-10 at Memorial Stadium (Champaign, IL). Now Illinois is 2-1, and Southern Illinois is 2-2.2026-09-19RecapDuke beat Illinois 31-27 (Week 2, 2026)Duke beat Illinois 31-27 at Memorial Stadium (Champaign, IL). Now Duke is 2-0, and Illinois is 1-1.2026-09-12RecapIllinois beat UAB 42-23 (Week 1, 2026)Illinois beat UAB 42-23 at Memorial Stadium (Champaign, IL). Now Illinois is 1-0, and UAB is 0-1.2026-09-03
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Frequently asked questions
What team does Tanner Heckel play for?
Tanner Heckel plays for Illinois, wearing #16 at DB.
What position does Tanner Heckel play?
Tanner Heckel is a DB for Illinois.
How tall is Tanner Heckel?
Tanner Heckel is 5-11 and weighs 195 lb.
What year is Tanner Heckel in?
Tanner Heckel is listed as a junior on the Illinois roster.
Where is Tanner Heckel from?
Tanner Heckel is from Lyndon, KS.
How many tackles does Tanner Heckel have?
Tanner Heckel has 8 tackles in the 2026 season. Full numbers are in the stats above.