Wikipedia

Tanner Arkin

Tanner Arkin (born July 7, 2003) is an American professional football tight end for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Illinois Fighting Illini and Colorado State Rams.

Tanner Arkin
No. 84 – New England Patriots
PositionTight end
Roster statusActive
Personal information
Born (2003-07-07) July 7, 2003 (age 22)
Kenosha, Wisconsin, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Listed weight262 lb (119 kg)
Career information
High schoolFossil Ridge (Fort Collins, Colorado)
College
NFL draft2026: undrafted
Career history
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Early life

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Arkin was born in Kenosha, Wisconsin, but his family moved to Fort Collins, Colorado when he was a child.[1] He began playing football at a young age and, as a freshman in high school, was named captain of his team. During his sophomore year, he began playing on varsity, primarily as an outside linebacker instead of his preferred position, tight end.[2][3] Before his junior season, he sustained a broken collarbone which sidelined him for the season.[4] Finally, during his senior season, Arkin sustained a broken fibula during his second game, but continued to play for the remainder of the season.[1] He was considered a two-star prospect coming out of high school and, on May 12, 2020, Arkin committed to play college football for the Colorado State Rams.[5][6]

College career

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Colorado State

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In his first season at Colorado State University, Arkin backed-up Trey McBride.[7] He appeared in three games and took a redshirt for the season.[8] The following season, he was named to the Preseason All-Mountain West list and appeared in every game for the Rams.[7][9]

Illinois

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On December 14, 2022, Arkin transferred to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.[6][10][11] In his first season with the Fighting Illini, he appeared in every game with three starts.[12] Prior to his redshirt junior season, he was named a team captain.[13][14][15] On August 8, 2025, Arkin was named to the John Mackey Award Watch List as one of the top tight ends in the nation.[16]

College statistics

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Legend
Bold Career high
Year Team GP Receiving
Rec Yds Avg Lng TD
2021Colorado State 3 1 9 9.0 9 0
2022Colorado State 12 14 116 8.3 26 0
2023Illinois 12 1 1 1.0 1 1
2024Illinois 13 16 111 6.9 16 3
2025Illinois 13 13 114 8.8 28 2
Career 53 45 351 7.8 28 6

Professional career

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Pre-draft measurables
HeightWeightArm lengthHand spanWingspan40-yard dash10-yard split20-yard split20-yard shuttleThree-cone drillVertical jumpBroad jumpBench press
6 ft 3+5⁄8 in
(1.92 m)		262 lb
(119 kg)		32+1⁄4 in
(0.82 m)		10+1⁄8 in
(0.26 m)		6 ft 5+5⁄8 in
(1.97 m)		4.89 s1.68 s2.78 s4.50 s7.44 s33.5 in
(0.85 m)		9 ft 5 in
(2.87 m)		21 reps
All values from Pro Day[17]

Arkin signed with the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent on May 8, 2026.[18][19]

Personal life

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Arkin is the son of Grady and Veronica Arkin.[8] He has one brother, Owen, and a sister, Carmen.[12] Arkin graduated from the University of Illinois in May 2025 with a degree in Kinesiology.[12]

References

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  1. 1 2 "Captain Chronicles | 'I Knew I Could Come Here and Make an Impact': Arkin Builds Trust, Confidence in Second Year at Illinois". University of Illinois Athletics. November 14, 2024. Retrieved May 7, 2025.
  2. ↑ "Poudre High School tops Fossil Ridge 35-14". Fort Collins Coloradoan. October 26, 2018. Retrieved May 7, 2025.
  3. ↑ "Fossil Ridge wins homecoming game against Overland". Fort Collins Coloradoan. September 14, 2018. Retrieved May 7, 2025.
  4. ↑ Fredrickson, Kyle (October 7, 2020). "In 2020, the Year of the Tight End in Colorado high school football, Heritage's Terrance Ferguson and Erik Olsen lead the way". The Denver Post. Retrieved May 7, 2025.
  5. ↑ "Tanner Arkin Timeline Events". 247sports.com. Retrieved May 7, 2025.
  6. 1 2 Bucshon, Doug (December 14, 2022). "Portal Commit: Illini land transfer tight end Tanner Arkin". illinois.rivals.com. Retrieved June 4, 2025.
  7. 1 2 "Arkin Selected Preseason All-Mountain West". Colorado State Athletics. Retrieved May 7, 2025.
  8. 1 2 "Tanner Arkin - Football". Colorado State Athletics. Retrieved May 6, 2025.
  9. ↑ Harvey, Paul (December 15, 2022). "Illinois lands transfer commitment from TE out of Colorado State". Saturday Tradition. Retrieved June 5, 2025.
  10. ↑ Werner, Jeremy (December 14, 2022). "Transfer TE Tanner Arkin returns to B1G roots with Illini commitment: 'They have all the tools for success'". 247Sports. Retrieved May 7, 2025.
  11. ↑ Schultz, Nick (December 15, 2022). "Colorado State transfer TE announces commitment to Illinois". On3. Retrieved May 7, 2025.
  12. 1 2 3 "Tanner Arkin - 2025 - Football". University of Illinois Athletics. Retrieved May 6, 2025.
  13. ↑ "Illinois Football Names Six Team Captains for 2024 Season". University of Illinois Athletics. August 15, 2024. Retrieved May 6, 2025.
  14. ↑ Illini Inquirer. "Training camp: Illini TE Tanner Arkin named captain." YouTube, 17 Aug. 2024, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSDOc9hcp-8.
  15. ↑ Chappell, Kirkland (August 20, 2024). "Illini Football: Is Tanner Arkin Ready to Lead The Tight Ends?". Armchair Illinois. Retrieved June 4, 2025.
  16. ↑ "Arkin Named to John Mackey Award Watch List". University of Illinois Athletics. August 8, 2025. Retrieved August 12, 2025.
  17. ↑ "Tanner Arkin College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved March 19, 2026.
  18. ↑ Mendes, Laura (April 26, 2026). "Tanner Arkin to sign with Patriots". The Daily Illini. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
  19. ↑ "Patriots Sign Five of Their Nine 2026 Draft Picks and 12 Rookie Free Agents". Patriots.com. May 8, 2026.
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