Cole Tucker

#15 · WR · Sr. · Northern Illinois6′2″ · 195 lb · DeKalb, IL

Cole Tucker: WR · Northern Illinois · #15.

Similar players

Closest statistical matches, adjusted for opponent strength.

Keshunn AbramKent State · 2021 · 90% season match
Tavonn SalterMiddle Tennessee · 2018 · 90% season match
Tory HortonNevada · 2021 · 88% season match
Louis BrownSan Diego State · 2024 · 87% season match
Javon IvoryMemphis · 2022 · 83% season match

Cole Tucker

WR · Northern Illinois · Sr · #15

Wins underneath on volume and route precision. The five seasons at Northern Illinois span two head coaches: Rod Carey and Thomas Hammock. On tape: 123 receiving yards and 7 receptions against Tulsa, Week 2, 2022.

Style of play

Play style

Runs precise routes in tight quarters. Volume player who keeps chains moving.

Fans

No outlet on our list has written about this player by name this season.

Where to follow

Career stats

Swipe the table sideways for more columns.

Season	Team
2022	Northern Illinois	46	630	13.7	4	70
2021	Northern Illinois	41	575	14.0	3	66
2020	Northern Illinois	11	106	9.6	2	16
2019	Northern Illinois	38	531	14.0	1	49
2018	Northern Illinois	18	156	8.7	0	19
Career		154	1,998	13.0	10	70

Season	Team
2022	Northern Illinois	--	10
2021	Northern Illinois	--	9
2020	Northern Illinois	25	8
2019	Northern Illinois	17	60
2018	Northern Illinois	--	69
Career		42	156

Game log

Game log · Week-by-week

2022 season · 11 games

Box score · CFBD

Swipe the table sideways for more columns.

Wk	Opp	REC	YDS	AVG	TD	LONG	Note
Wk 1	W 34-27vs Eastern Illinois	4	67	16.8	0	29
Wk 2	L 35-38@ Tulsa	7	123	17.6	1	33	Season-high 123 yds
Wk 3	L 28-38vs Vanderbilt	4	88	22.0	2	70	2 TD catches
Wk 4	L 23-31@ No. 8 Kentucky	3	55	18.3	0	20
Wk 5	L 38-44@ Ball State	8	87	10.9	0	22
Wk 6	L 32-52vs Toledo	4	56	14.0	0	25
Wk 7	W 39-10@ Eastern Michigan	5	58	11.6	0	14
Wk 8	L 17-24@ Ohio	3	24	8.0	0	10
Wk 10	L 22-35vs Central Michigan	2	12	6.0	0	12
Wk 11	W 24-21@ Western Michigan	2	27	13.5	1	16
Wk 13	L 12-44vs Akron	4	33	8.3	0	23
Total		46	630	13.7	4	70

Signature game

Week 3 · 2022

L 28-38

vs Vanderbilt

4 rec · 88 yds · 2 TD

With T. Foley — 47 yards per punt · 3 punts · 1 inside the 20 · R. Lombardi — 79 yds · 1 TD · 0 INT · QBR 93.7

Signature plays

The plays that mattered most

Week 3 · Vanderbilt · 3rd and 5 · Q3 · EPA +6.74Ethan Hampton pass complete to Cole Tucker for 70 yds for a TD, (John Richardson KICK)
Week 2 · Tulsa · 3rd and 4 · Q4 · EPA +3.69Rocky Lombardi pass complete to Cole Tucker for 33 yds for a TD, (John Richardson KICK)
Week 1 · Eastern Illinois · 2nd and 25 · Q3 · EPA +3.47Rocky Lombardi pass complete to Cole Tucker for 29 yds to the 50 yard line for a
Week 2 · Tulsa · 3rd and 5 · Q3 · EPA +3.08Rocky Lombardi pass complete to Cole Tucker for 28 yds to the NoIll 49 for a
Week 11 · Western Michigan · 3rd and 6 · Q2 · EPA +3.04Nevan Cremascoli pass complete to Cole Tucker for 16 yds for a TD, (John Richardson KICK)
Week 7 · Eastern Michigan · 3rd and 11 · Q1 · EPA +2.54Rocky Lombardi pass complete to Cole Tucker for 14 yds to the NoIll 42 for a

4 more plays

Week 4 · Kentucky · 3rd and 9 · Q2 · EPA +2.51Ethan Hampton pass complete to Cole Tucker for 16 yds to the NoIll 42 for a
Week 11 · Western Michigan · 3rd and 8 · Q1 · EPA +2.39Nevan Cremascoli pass complete to Cole Tucker for 11 yds to the NoIll 43 for a
Week 7 · Eastern Michigan · 3rd and 7 · Q2 · EPA +2.24Rocky Lombardi pass complete to Cole Tucker for 12 yds to the NoIll 41 for a
Week 5 · Ball State · 2nd and 11 · Q3 · EPA +2.22Ethan Hampton pass complete to Cole Tucker for 16 yds to the BalSt 35 for a

Teams and coaches

2018Northern Illinois8-6HC: Rod Carey · Run-leaning

2019Northern Illinois5-7HC: Thomas Hammock · Run-leaning

2020Northern Illinois0-6HC: Thomas Hammock · Balanced

2021Northern Illinois9-5HC: Thomas Hammock · Run-heavy, fast tempo

2022Northern Illinois3-9HC: Thomas Hammock · Run-leaning

Our ratings

CFB Zeitgeist Score 58 (#144 of 488). Show the ratings

Where this profile ranks vs the WR cohort

Box-score + play-by-play EPA percentiles · 2022 season

58Quality starter #144 of 488 · 2022?

10 metrics · season cumulative

2022 score: the 2026 sample is not big enough yet. The rows below are 2026 so far. Elite: long catch (84th percentile). Concern: catch rate (13th percentile).

Real play-by-play efficiency

Yards / catch#178 / 636 · 72nd pct

14.0

TD rate#344 / 636 · 46th pct

5.8%

Explosive rate#369 / 636 · 42nd pct

11.6%

EPA / target#379 / 636 · 40th pct

0.60

Catch rate#552 / 636 · 13th pct

65.2%

Box-score rates (5)

Long catch#84 / 550 · 84th pct

Rec yards#138 / 550 · 75th pct

630

Receptions#146 / 550 · 73rd pct

Rec TDs#155 / 550 · 66th pct

Yards / catch#230 / 550 · 58th pct

13.7

Season trend

Last seasonThis season

EPA / target

79th → 40th percentile

Explosive rate

36th → 42nd percentile

Catch rate

25th → 13th percentile

TD rate

45th → 46th percentile

Yards / catch

69th → 72nd percentile

Percentiles versus same-position peers with enough snaps in 2022. Most bars are box-score rates; EPA / success-rate bars are computed from real play-by-play (offense only — no defensive EPA model exists yet).

Splits

Home and road splits, scheme and staff

Splits · Per-game

2022 season · 11 games

Home/Road · Season halves

Home vs Road

	REC/g	YDS/g	YPR	TD/g
Home5g	3.6	51.2	13.4	0.4
Road6g	4.7	62.3	13.3	0.3

First half vs Second half

	REC/g	YDS/g	YPR	TD/g
Weeks 1-77g	5.0	76.3	15.9	0.4
Weeks 8+4g	2.8	24.0	8.9	0.2

Supporting cast · Scheme

Staff and system around the player

2022 season

Head Coach

Thomas Hammock

Pass share

40.9%

328 pass / 473 run

Plays / game

66.8

12 games

Team sack rate

2.7%

334 dropbacks · PBP

Scheme: Run-leaning.

Awards

Player standing · 2022

46 catches in 11 games

About as many catches a game as a typical FBS receiver who plays every week.

Recognition

Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex

Production · CFB Zeitgeist Score

58 · #144 of 488 WRs · 2022

Three-star recruit. Now #144 at the position.

Cole Tucker

Similar players

Style of play

Fans

Where to follow

Career stats

Game log

Signature game

Signature plays

Teams and coaches

Our ratings

Splits

Awards

46 catches in 11 games

Five seasons at Northern Illinois

2017