2019 Football Roster
Jersey Number 4
Ricky Smalling
- Ht./Wt.:
- 6-1 / 205
- Position:
- WR
- Hometown:
- Chicago, Ill.
- High School:
- Brother Rice
Career Highs
Receptions: 8 at Minnesota, 10/21/17
Receiving Yards: 111 vs. Rutgers, 10/14/17
Long Reception: 76 at South Florida, 9/15/17
Receiving Touchdowns: 2 vs. Penn State, 9/21/18
All-Purpose Yards: 111 vs. Rutgers, 10/14/17
2019 Junior
- Started the first seven games at wide receiver
- Missed the last six games with an injury
- 24 receptions for 225 yards and one touchdown on the season
2018 Sophomore
- Played & started 11 games
- 33 receptions for 406 yards (12.3 ypr) and five touchdowns on season
- Led Illinois in receptions (33), receiving yards (406) and receiving TDs (5)
- Season-high seven receptions for 72 yards and a touchdown at Northwestern 11/24/18
- Season-high 86 receiving yards, including a 67-yard touchdown, against Minnesota 11/3/18
- Career-high two touchdowns against Penn State 9/1/18
- Team-high 70 receiving yards on three catches vs. Kent State
- Academic All-Big Ten
2017 Freshman
- BTN.com All-Freshman Team honorable mention
- Played in all 12 games with 10 starts at wide receiver
- 31 receptions for 501 yards and two touchdowns on season
- Led Illinois in receiving yards (501)
- Fourth true freshman in program history to lead the team in receiving yards
- Tied for the team lead in receptions (31) with Malik Turner
- At least one reception in 11 straight games to end the season
- Ranked fourth in the B1G in yards per reception (16.45)
- Second on the team in all-purpose yards (510)
- Made his Illinois debut in the opener against Ball State
- 76-yard reception at South Florida was the longest in Illinois history by a true freshman, before Louis Dorsey’s 77-yard touchdown reception against Indiana seven weeks later
High School
- Four-star recruit by Rivals, ESPN and Scout
- Three-star recruit by 247Sports
- Ranked as a top 500 recruit in the nation by 247Sports
- Ranked No. 48 wide receiver in the nation by Rivals, No. 48 by Scout and No. 52 by 247Sports
- No. 6 recruit in Illinois by Rivals, ESPN, Scout and 247Sports
- Played at Brother Rice for head coach Brian Badke
- 2016 ALL-USA Illinois Football Team
- 2016 Reporter/Regional Football Player of the Year
- 2016 Daily Southtown Football Player of the Year
- 2016 Chicago Catholic League Offensive Player of the Year
- 2016 Champaign News-Gazette All-State first team
- 2016 Preps Plus All-State first team
- 2016 Chicago Catholic League all-conference
- 2016 Brother Rice MVP
- Preps Plus/WGN-9 Athlete of the Month for September 2016
- 80 receptions for 1,336 yards and 18 TDs in 11 games as senior
- Helped Brother Rice to a 9-3 record and playoff berth as senior
- 1,165 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns as a junior
- Lettered four years in football
- Was the first student-athlete to verbally commit to Illini head coach Lovie Smith
Personal
- Born Nov. 2, 1998
- Son of Celeste Boyd
- Has one sister, Cerena Hudson
- Uncle, Paul Cruse Jr., Aunt, Tahtia Smalling, and two cousins, Sarah Cruse and Paul Cruse III, all attended Illinois
- Uncle, Thomas Boyd, played football at Saint Xavier
- Picked Illinois because of, “it was a great school and I developed a good relationship with the coaches.”
- Enrolled in general curriculum
Illinois Football | Bret Bielema Press Conference 3/5/26
Thursday, March 05
Illinois Football | Bobby Hauck Introductory Press Conference 2/12/26
Thursday, February 12
Illinois Football | Bret Bielema Press Conference 2/4/26
Thursday, February 05
Illinois Football | Xavier Scott Return Announcement Press Conference Press Conference 1/21/26
Wednesday, January 21
