Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 3 games
| Wk | Opp | REC | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | L 24-45vs UCLA | 5 | 94 | 18.8 | 0 | 49 | Season-high 94 yds |
| Wk 2 | W 21-18@ Syracuse | 3 | 64 | 21.3 | 0 | 43 | |
| Wk 3 | W 49-7vs Wagner | 6 | 48 | 8.0 | 0 | 19 | |
| Total | 14 | 206 | 16.0 | 0 | 49 |
#9
Ian Strong
Senior wide receiver for California. 2026: 3 games with a box-score line.
6′4″ · 215 lb · Coram, NY · St. Anthony's HS
CFB Index 69 · #87 of 485 WRsHigh confidenceTransferred Rutgers → California for 2026
CFB Index
A single number blending on-field production (an EPA-based value lane) with box-score output for this player's position.
0-100, scaled within each position's own cohort — not directly comparable across positions.
The numbers
206
receiving yards · 2026 · through week 3
3 games into 2026 so far -- Backed by 5 rec · 88 yds · 3 TD -- top 1% receiving TDs game. -- Best game: 5 rec, 94 yds, vs UCLA
Swing playSwung Rutgers from 46% to 76% to win.Maryland at Rutgers · 35-20
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
Senior wide receiver for California. 2026: 3 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to Rutgers in 2023.
- Transferred from Rutgers to California in 2026.
In Their Words
150 windows · 2026 fan posts
ian×114.0rutgers×62.8run×8.4
“Imagining life for this offense if somehow they were able to keep Ian Strong on this team”
reddit/CFB · fan post, verbatim
Ian Strong
Moves the chains on third down. Two head coaches in four seasons, at two different programs. The receipt: 94 rec yds, 5 receptions against UCLA — Week 1, 2026.
206 REC YDS · 14 REC · 0 REC TD
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- game log
His career
5 programs, one constant: he played.
The week the volume broke through — put up 151 yds vs Iowa.Iowa · L 28-382025
20239 games
- Signed with Rutgers3-star out of St. Anthony's
20263 games
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
2 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2023–2026
2 coaches2023–2025
California
2026era →
Tosh Lupoi
California
Coaching transition mid-career: Justin Wilcox → Tosh Lupoi. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
Where He Ended Up · Transfer
Transferred to California
2025Rutgers
2026California
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | California | 14 | 206 | 14.7 | 0 | -- |
| 2025 | Rutgers | 52 | 762 | 14.7 | 5 | -- |
| 2024 | Rutgers | 42 | 668 | 15.9 | 5 | -- |
| 2023 | Rutgers | 16 | 230 | 14.4 | 2 | -- |
| Career | 124 | 1,866 | 15.0 | 12 | -- |
Game log
Game by game
Ian Strong's 2026 production
Point color shows the opponent's defensive strength that week (red = weaker defense, blue = stronger) — dashed line is this player's own season average.
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 3 · 2026
W 49–7
vs Wagner
6 rec · 48 yds
Dominant 42-point win at home against Wagner.
With J. Sagapolutele — 413 yds · 3 TD · 0 INT · QBR 64.3 · A. Mohammed — 91 rush yds (13 car) · 2 TD
Signature plays
Signature plays · top plays by |EPA|
The plays that mattered most
- Week 1 · UCLA · 3&9 · Q2 · EPA +4.12(00:40) Shotgun #3 J.Sagapolutele pass complete deep left to #9 I.Strong caught at CLA48, for 49 yards to the CLA38 (#27 T.James), 1ST DOWN
- Week 2 · Syracuse · 2&11 · Q2 · EPA +3.98(08:19) No Huddle-Shotgun #3 J.Sagapolutele pass complete deep middle to #9 I.Strong caught at SYR33, for 43 yards to the SYR33 (#12 C.Peal), 1ST DOWN
- Week 1 · UCLA · 1&10 · Q1 · EPA +1.73(05:11) Shotgun #3 J.Sagapolutele pass complete short right to #9 I.Strong caught at CAL37, for 21 yards to the CAL41 (#1 S.Jackson), 1ST DOWN
- Week 1 · UCLA · 2&2 · Q1 · EPA -1.68(14:19) Shotgun #3 J.Sagapolutele pass complete short right to #9 I.Strong caught at CAL28, for 4 yards loss to the CAL29 (#10 S.Omosigho; #12 M.Hartford)
- Week 1 · UCLA · 2&10 · Q3 · EPA +1.63(11:36) Shotgun #3 J.Sagapolutele pass complete short left to #9 I.Strong caught at CAL28, for 18 yards to the CAL33 (#39 A.Sacca), 1ST DOWN
- Week 3 · Wagner · 1&10 · Q3 · EPA +1.42(08:58) No Huddle-Shotgun #3 J.Sagapolutele pass complete short left to #9 I.Strong caught at WAG44, for 19 yards to the WAG39 (#1 S.Williams; #11 E.Dukes), 1ST DOWN. #1 S.Williams injured on the play
- Week 3 · Wagner · 1&10 · Q1 · EPA +1.21(14:01) Shotgun #3 J.Sagapolutele pass complete short left to #9 I.Strong caught at CAL45, for 14 yards to the WAG46 (#1 S.Williams; #3 A.Cornish), 1ST DOWN
- Week 1 · UCLA · 2&7 · Q4 · EPA +1.19(08:06) Shotgun #3 J.Sagapolutele pass complete short right to #9 I.Strong caught at CAL30, for 10 yards to the CAL33 (#2 R.Pleasant; #25 T.Hendrick), 1ST DOWN
- Week 3 · Wagner · 1&10 · Q1 · EPA +0.80(04:34) Shotgun #3 J.Sagapolutele pass complete short left to #9 I.Strong caught at CAL25, for 8 yards to the CAL28 (#15 F.Camp; #18 D.Long)
- Week 3 · Wagner · 1&10 · Q2 · EPA -0.52(09:52) No Huddle-Shotgun #3 J.Sagapolutele pass complete short left to #9 I.Strong caught at WAG19, for 3 yards loss to the WAG17 (#0 L.Barnes)
2026 snapshot
Since week 2: +48 receiving yards, +6 catches.
Season context · Team result + system
2023Rutgers7-6HC: Greg Schiano · Run-heavy, slow tempo
2024Rutgers7-6HC: Greg Schiano · Run-leaning
2025Rutgers5-7HC: Greg Schiano · Run-leaning
2026California2-1HC: Tosh Lupoi · Pass-leaning
Where this profile ranks vs the WR cohort
Box-score + play-by-play EPA percentiles
High confidence
Concern: catch rate (14th percentile).
Real play-by-play efficiency
Box-score rates (5)
Season trend
Last seasonThis season
EPA / target
64th → 18th percentile
Explosive rate
40th → 53rd percentile
Catch rate
32nd → 14th percentile
TD rate
50th → 50th percentile
Yards / catch
78th → 78th percentile
Percentiles versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season. 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).
Receiving profile
Receiver profile · Targets, catch rate, and throw depth
How often he's targeted, and how well it works
14 of 14 receptions matched to play-by-play
25 of 25 targets charted for true throw depth
Targets
2521% of team targetsCatch rate
56%14 of 25 targetsBehind LOS · Negative air yds
12% of targets (3)
100%catch rate
Air -11.7 · YAC 11.0 avg
Short · 0–9 air yds
32% of targets (8)
62%catch rate
Air 5.1 · YAC 4.0 avg
Middle · 10–19 air yds
44% of targets (11)
36%catch rate
Air 14.2 · YAC 3.8 avg
Deep · 20+ air yds
12% of targets (3)
67%catch rate
Air 35.0 · YAC 4.5 avg
56% catch rate on 25 targets · 21% of the team's targets.
Splits & context
Splits · Per-game
2026 season · 3 games
Home vs Road
| REC/g | YDS/g | YPR | TD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home2g | 5.5 | 71.0 | 13.4 | 0.0 |
| Road1g | 3.0 | 64.0 | 21.3 | 0.0 |
First half vs Second half
| REC/g | YDS/g | YPR | TD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-73g | 4.7 | 68.7 | 16.0 | 0.0 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Tosh Lupoi
Pass share
57.9%
124 pass / 90 run
Plays / game
71.3
3 games
Team sack rate
2.2%
138 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Pass-leaning.
Awards
Player standing · 2026
Backup
On the two-deep and pushing for snaps.
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
How he plays
Play style
Reliable target who converts on critical downs. Not flashy; consistently productive.
CFB Index positional classification
Starter
The No. 1,198 recruit in the country is starting at receiver in the ACC as a senior.
DNA match
Player DNA
Possession Receiver
Reliable target who converts on critical downs. Not flashy; consistently productive.
WR
His 2026 production profile sits closest to Jacob Hillyer’s 2015 season.
84%match
Matches Jacob on
Total EPA (college ability)
Yards / reception
Height
Through 4 college seasons, his career arc tracks closest to Blayne Taylor’s path through Abilene Christian.
Blayne Taylor
99%match
Matches Blayne on
Yards per reception
As a senior, his production profile tracks closest to Bryan Thompson's senior season at Arizona State (2021).
82%match
Matches Bryan on
Total EPA (college ability)
Yards / reception
Height
Differs from Bryan on
Weight (higher)
Player DNA
Players who play like Ian Strong
Background
Accolades - Athletic Athlon Sports Preseason Third-Team All-ACC (2026) Biletnikoff Award Watch List (2026) Shriners Children's East-West Bowl 1000 (2026) Athlon Sports Fourth-Team All-Big Ten (2025) Biletnikoff Award Watch List (2025) Coaches and Media Honorable Mention All-Big Ten (2025) Phil…
The receiver room · California
- #7Chase Hendricks1,037 receiving yards · 2025
- #9Ian Strong762 receiving yards · 2025
- #5Quaron Adams273 receiving yards · 2025
- #4Jordan King267 receiving yards · 2025
- #15Mark Hamper202 receiving yards · 2025
8 more on the roster · California team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology