Aaron Henry jokes about Illinois CB Tanner Heckel: 'He might not be white'

Illinois defensive coordinator Aaron Henry knows he has a unique player in cornerback Tanner Heckel. He also isn’t afraid to address the elephant in the room when it comes to talking about his skillset.

Heckel is white and playing a position that is predominantly played by Black players, a fact that draws ones eye to him when he is lined up before a play. But once you see him take off and start playing, all of those preconceived notions go out the window.

“I can’t say enough good things about Tanner Heckel, man,” Henry said during a press conference at the Fighting Illini’s spring practice. “Obviously, he was a hidden gem. He was as talented as any cat we’ve had come through this building just from a skillset standpoint. Obviously, he played some eight-man football, but just his patience, his ability, his athleticism is just so unique. Because typically, I know Illinois is not known for having white corners. There just haven’t been a lot of them.

“Just the game of football there hasn’t been a lot of white corners. So you see him out there lined up at corner or you see him at nickel and you’re like, ‘Who is this cat?’ Then he starts running and you’re like, ‘Oh my goodness.’ Then he leaves the ground and goes up for a ball and it’s like, ‘OK, he may not be white. This dude is different.’ He’s just very, very unique and super talented. We got some young guys in the secondary I’m really excited about.”

Heckel is preparing to enter his second season at Illinois and, from the sound of it, could be poised to take on a larger role. He played in all 13 games as a true freshman in 2024 but recorded only two tackles as a reserve.

Heckel flew a bit under the radar as a recruit, as he was a three-star prospect out of Lyndon (KS) High School. He ranked as the No. 1,308 overall player and No. 131 safety in the 2024 cycle according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

He isn’t the first white player to play cornerback in college, as Iowa had two players be drafted into the NFL recently in Cooper DeJean and Riley Moss. Jason Seahorn also had success in a nine-year NFL career from 1994-2003, totaling 19 interceptions and 55 passes defended for his career.

Perhaps Heckel can be the next white cornerback to join that list if he makes a jump this year. Illinois is coming off of its first 10-win season since 2001 and will hope that he fits into the defense well.