Corey Rucker is a wide receiver and 2026 NFL Draft prospect who played the majority of his collegiate career at Arkansas State. A native of Yazoo City, Mississippi, Rucker joined the Red Wolves as a three-star recruit in 2020 and made an immediate impact as a freshman, posting 16 receptions for 453 yards and five touchdowns in eight games. He built on that production as a sophomore in 2021 with 60 catches for 837 yards and nine touchdowns. He then transferred to South Carolina for 2022, where an injury limited him to two games before he returned to Arkansas State for 2023, posting 31 catches for 598 yards. In 2024, Rucker broke through as the Red Wolves' most productive weapon, leading the team with 69 receptions for 1,053 yards and seven touchdowns across 13 games, earning second-team All-Sun Belt Conference honors. He returned for a fifth season at Arkansas State in 2025 using a COVID eligibility year and continued to anchor the offense as one of the Sun Belt's most experienced and productive wide receivers. He finished his career as Arkansas State's all-time leader in receiving yards.
Measuring around 6-foot and 214 pounds, Rucker is a physical, violent runner after the catch who transitions quickly from receiver to ball-carrier and consistently picks up difficult yardage after contact. He catches the ball naturally away from his body with soft, reliable hands and shows the lateral agility to create separation within the short and intermediate areas of the field. Evaluators have noted that his route tree has been somewhat limited at the college level and that he can be more comfortable in traffic than in creating separation from tight man coverage. NFL teams project Rucker as a Day 3 or priority undrafted free agent candidate who can contribute on special teams and in a complementary receiving role for a team that values physicality after the catch.
