Illinois Football 2025 Scouting Report: Defensive Back Tanner Heckel

Illinois on SI is delivering scouting reports for each of the key players on the Illini football team's 2025 roster. Below, we present our breakdown of Illini junior defensive back Tanner Heckel. We will add more as other on-field contributors emerge during the season. Find our scouting reports of other Illinois players by searching in your favorite browser or clicking in our projected depth chart – coming soon.

Tanner Heckel | Defensive back | Sophomore | No. 20

Hometown: Lyndon, KansasHigh school: LyndonHeight: 5-foot-11Weight: 185 pounds

Scouting report

Heckel is an exceptional athlete, a three-time All-State basketball player and track-and-field state champion back home in Kansas (where he won the state title in long jump and triple jump, and finished second in the 100-meter dash).Although cornerbacks often make the transition to safety from high school to college, it doesn't frequently happen the other way around. Heckel's size is better suited for the edge, however, and Illinois' coaches believe he has the speed and explosiveness to contribute at corner. A gym rat, he already has plus strength and power at the position (which holds plenty of appeal in defensive coordinator Aaron Henry's scheme).

Experience

Heckel played eight-man football at Kansas, so his learning curve – on top of making the move from safety to cornerback – is a steep one. But his results speak for themselves. He was the 2023 Kansas 8-Man Offensive Player of the Year – Heckel scored 69 total touchdowns as a senior – while also collecting 81 tackles and seven interceptions.He played in all 13 games in his first season at Illinois, almost exclusively on special teams. But the fact that he received reps as a freshman despite his lack of experience in 11-man football likely show how highly his physical gifts are thought of around the program.

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