Arizona signs Illinois transfer tight end Cole Rusk

Portal business is starting to heat up in the Old Pueblo, and the Wildcats just addressed one of their biggest needs of the offseason. On Tuesday, Arizona signed Illinois transfer tight end Cole Rusk. He is the first pickup of the transfer portal for Seth Doege and the Wildcats’ offense.

The 6-foot-5, 250-pound tight end brings plenty of size and experience to Arizona. As a senior, Rusk hauled in 19 receptions for 217 yards and a touchdown for the Illini. His best game came against Ohio State, where he secured five catches for 68 yards. He missed the 2024 season due to a knee injury he suffered in fall camp.

Prior to his time in Champaign, Rusk made stops at Eastern Michigan and Murray State. He appeared in one game during his time at Eastern Michigan from 2021-22, but burst onto the scene as a Racer in 2023. As a sophomore, Rusk hauled in 39 receptions for 507 yards and six touchdowns, earning FCS All-American Third Team honors.

247Sports.com rates Rusk as the No. 4 tight end in the transfer portal.

Given his size and experience, Cole Rusk figures to be a plug and play starter for Arizona. Tyler Powell, who was injured on the Wildcats’ first play of the season, will be back, but Josh Miller and Seth Doege will need to replace the receiving and blocking of tight ends Cam Barmore and Sam Olson, who have both exhausted their eligibility.

A full list of Arizona’s incoming and outgoing portal activity can be found on our Transfer Portal Tracker here.