Last confirmed: Nebraska, 2016. No 2026 box-score games on record.
6′5″ · Lincoln, NE · Lincoln Southeast
Sam Cotton: TE · Nebraska · #84.
Closest statistical matches, adjusted for opponent strength.
Sam Cotton
Shows up in the passing game from any alignment. Sam Cotton has played for two head coaches in three seasons at Nebraska. A game that shows it: 37 receiving yards and 3 receptions against Indiana — Week 7, 2016.
Play style
No single go-to route — the receiving numbers show up inline and split out alike.
No outlet on our list has written about him by name this season.
Yahoo Sports Oct 20
10/11 NOW Oct 19Yahoo Sports Oct 15Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
Game log · Week-by-week
2016 season · 5 games
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
| Wk | Opp | REC | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 4 | W 24-13@ Northwestern | 1 | 11 | 11.0 | 0 | 11 | |
| Wk 5 | W 31-16vs Illinois | 1 | 12 | 12.0 | 0 | 12 | |
| Wk 7 | W 27-22@ Indiana | 3 | 37 | 12.3 | 0 | 17 | Season-high 37 yds |
| Wk 8 | W 27-14vs Purdue | 3 | 27 | 9.0 | 0 | 12 | |
| Wk 9 | L 17-23@ No. 11 Wisconsin | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Total | 8 | 87 | 10.9 | 0 | 17 |
Week 7 · 2016
W 27-22
at Indiana
3 rec · 37 yds
A wire-to-wire battle — won by 5 on the road.
With T. Armstrong — 208 yds · 1 TD · 2 INT · QBR 35.9 · 36 rush yds (11 car) · C. Lightbourn — 37.8 yards per punt · 5 punts · 45 long
The plays that mattered most
Splits · Per-game
2016 season · 5 games
Home vs Road
| REC/g | YDS/g | YPR | TD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home2g | 2.0 | 19.5 | 10.5 | 0.0 |
| Road3g | 1.3 | 16.0 | 11.7 | 0.0 |
First half vs Second half
| REC/g | YDS/g | YPR | TD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-73g | 1.7 | 20.0 | 11.8 | 0.0 |
| Weeks 8+2g | 1.5 | 13.5 | 9.0 | 0.0 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Mike Riley
Pass share
43.9%
399 pass / 510 run
Plays / game
69.9
13 games
Team sack rate
3.6%
420 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Run-leaning.
Player standing · 2016
Fewer catches a game than most FBS tight ends who play every week.
How it ended
Three seasons at Nebraska, 163 receiving yards — his college career is complete.
His career
Coaching lineage · 2012–2016
2 coachesCoaching transition mid-career: Bo Pelini → Mike Riley. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
