Christian Abney holds the TE · Starter spot in Illinois Fighting Illini’s tight end room. Where he sits among the room’s front-line roles:

Christian Abney logged a 1.6% overall usage rate in 2025.

Christian Abney is a tight end from Zionsville, Indiana, who played quarterback in high school before transferring to Illinois. At Ball State, he appeared in seven games as a freshman with three starts, recording three receptions for 16 yards. In 2024, his sophomore season, Abney played in 11 games with six starts and caught five receptions for 50 yards and one touchdown, including a 22-yard touchdown reception against Western Michigan on October 5, 2024. He joined Illinois in May 2025 with two years of eligibility remaining and appeared in 12 of 13 games with four starts in 2025, hauling in one reception for 12 yards.

Ball State2023 – 2024

Illinois2025 — present