Player profileIllinois Football
Illinois · Football
Tanner Heckel
DB · Junior · #16 · 5' 11" · 195 lbs · 3★ recruit
From Lyndon, KS
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Estimated NIL value
$140K
Illinois · Football
Tanner Heckel
DB · Junior · #16 · 5' 11" · 195 lbs · 3★ recruit
From Lyndon, KS
Loading live player file…
Estimated NIL value
$140K
Illinois · Football
DB · Junior · #16 · 5' 11" · 195 lbs
★★★★★3★ RecruitFrom Lyndon, KS
Estimated NIL value
$140K
Modeled from role, roster, recruiting, current market evidence, and school-pool reconciliation.
Pool-accounting allocation: $135K
Confidence meter
Watchlist confidenceWe have enough context to frame the range, but not enough sourced detail to call it tight.
Tanner Heckel is a 5' 11" 195 lbs Junior Defensive Back for Illinois and is listed by ESPN from Lyndon, KS. Tanner Heckel ranks 29th within the current Illinois football roster. The modeled value is $140K, with $135K allocated to reconcile the sport pool.
Pool share by sport
0.8%
Football pool: $16.25M
Pool share of school
0.5%
Illinois roster market: $29.8M
Roster dollars tracked
$16.25M
Illinois Football pool-accounting sum
Recent game logs
8
Latest verified ESPN appearances
Live player file
Last updated Sep 2, 2026
Position
Defensive Back
Class
Junior
Jersey
#16
Height
5' 11"
Weight
195 lbs
Hometown
Lyndon, KS
Roster status
Active
Current listing
Illinois Fighting Illini
Recruit rating
3-star
Recruiting profile
3-star / No. 1550 nationally
Rating: 0.8506
High school: Lyndon
From: Lyndon, KS
Class: 2024 / S
2025 season production
ESPN player feedDefense
37
Total tackles
26
Solo tackles
1.5
Sacks
1
Interceptions
2
Passes defended
1
Forced fumbles
Career history
| Season | Team | TOT | SOLO | SACK | INT | PD | FF | AST | YDS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Illinois Fighting Illini | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2025 | Illinois Fighting Illini | 37 | 26 | 1.5 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 11 | -1 |
| Career | All teams | 39 | 27 | 1.5 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 12 | -1 |
Latest games
Tennessee VolunteersDec 30, 2025 · 30-283 TOT · 2 SOLO · 0.5 SACK · 0 PDW
Northwestern WildcatsNov 30, 2025 · 20-133 TOT · 1 SOLO · 0 SACK · 0 PDL
Wisconsin BadgersNov 23, 2025 · 27-102 TOT · 2 SOLO · 0 SACK · 0 PDW
Maryland TerrapinsNov 15, 2025 · 24-64 TOT · 3 SOLO · 0 SACK · 0 PDW
Rutgers Scarlet KnightsNov 1, 2025 · 35-133 TOT · 2 SOLO · 0 SACK · 0 PDL
Washington HuskiesOct 25, 2025 · 42-254 TOT · 3 SOLO · 0 SACK · 1 PDL
Ohio State BuckeyesOct 11, 2025 · 34-162 TOT · 2 SOLO · 0 SACK · 0 PDW
Purdue BoilermakersOct 4, 2025 · 43-272 TOT · 1 SOLO · 0 SACK · 0 PDSideline Data Desk
Defensive-back value reflects coverage scarcity, starting role, recruiting demand, and exposure in high-leverage matchups. For Tanner Heckel, the current roster role, class, recruiting signal, program market, and available market evidence produce a $140K headline case.
The visible base estimate is $140K. The pool-accounting allocation is $135K, equal to about 0.8% of the Illinois football market. The player ranks 29th on that roster.
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Other Illinois DB estimates.
Recent player-specific reporting from school and national college-sports sources, newest first. NIL and endorsement stories are marked when relevant.
