Christian Blake

Wide receiver for Northern Illinois. 2017: 41 catches, 442 receiving yards, 4 TD.

WR · Northern Illinois · #4

6′1″ · 180 lb · Ft. Lauderdale, FL

Northern Illinois 2017 alumnus

Recruiting

3★

WR recruit

No. 1905 nationally · Signed with Northern Illinois

Statement game12 rec · 153 yds · 2 TDat San Diego State (FBS) · L 28-34

Top 1% catches game since 2021.

His career numbers, season by season

The story

2017 wide receiver for Northern Illinois. 2017: 41 catches, 442 receiving yards, 4 TD.

Signed as a 3-star recruit to Northern Illinois in 2014.

His career, year by year

How it ended

Four seasons at Northern Illinois, 972 receiving yards — his college career is complete.

His career

He barely played early on. Then he did not come off the field.

The week the volume broke through — put up 82 yds at Wyoming.Wyoming · L 34-402016

2014

Signed with Northern Illinois3-star out of Cardinal Gibbons

Career arc

Recruit

★★★

#1905 national

CFB

College

Northern Illinois

2014–2017

NFL

NFL Draft

—

Not drafted

Coaching lineage · 2014–2017

1 coach

2014–2017

Rod Carey

Northern Illinois

Played his entire career under Rod Carey.

2017 snapshot

Season context · Team result + system

4 seasons under Rod Carey — 32-21 over that span.

2014Northern Illinois11-3HC: Rod Carey · Run-heavy, fast tempo

2015Northern Illinois8-6HC: Rod Carey · Run-heavy

2016Northern Illinois5-7HC: Rod Carey · Run-leaning, fast tempo

2017Northern Illinois8-5HC: Rod Carey · Run-leaning

Where this profile ranks vs the WR cohort

Box-score percentiles

8 metrics · season cumulative

Elite: rush yards (81st percentile). Concern: yards / catch (22nd percentile).

Box-score rates (8)

Rush yards#53 / 283 · 81st pct

Receptions#159 / 539 · 69th pct

Rec TDs#151 / 539 · 67th pct

Rec yards#244 / 539 · 55th pct

442

Long catch#246 / 539 · 53rd pct

Fumbles lost#64 / 223 · 42nd pct

Rush TDs#54 / 283 · 41st pct

Yards / catch#422 / 539 · 22nd pct

10.8

Percentiles versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score rates.

Splits & context

Splits · Per-game

2017 season · 13 games

Home/Road · Season halves

Home vs Road

	REC/g	YDS/g	YPR	TD/g
Home7g	2.0	19.3	9.5	0.3
Road6g	4.5	51.2	11.1	0.3

First half vs Second half

	REC/g	YDS/g	YPR	TD/g
Weeks 1-77g	3.7	43.9	11.2	0.4
Weeks 8+6g	2.5	22.5	9.5	0.2

Supporting cast · Scheme

Staff and system around the player

2026 season

Head Coach

Rob Harley

Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.

Awards

Player standing · 2017

Part-time starter

Splitting first-team reps — starts some weeks, rotates others.

Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex

Career stats

Season	Team
2017	Northern Illinois	41	442	10.8	4	--
2016	Northern Illinois	34	457	13.4	2	--
2015	Northern Illinois	5	44	8.8	0	--
2014	Northern Illinois	3	29	9.7	0	--
Career		83	972	11.7	6	--

Season	Team
2017	Northern Illinois	16	58	171	--	--
2016	Northern Illinois	10	31	--	--	--
2015	Northern Illinois	--	--	--	--	--
2014	Northern Illinois	--	--	--	--	--
Career		26	89	171	--	--

Signature game

SIGNATURE GAME · Week 2 · 2017

W 38–10

vs Eastern Illinois

7 rush yds (2 car)

Dominant 28-point win at home against Eastern Illinois.

With D. Santacaterina — 252 yds · 3 TD · 1 INT · QBR 87.2 · 14 rush yds (5 car) · M. Ference — 41 AVG · 42 LONG · 4 NO

Game log

Game log · Week-by-week

2017 season · 13 games

Box score · CFBD

Wk	Opp	REC	YDS	AVG	TD	LONG	Note
Wk 1	L 20-23vs Boston College	—	—	—	—	—
Wk 2	W 38-10vs Eastern Illinois	3	24	8.0	1	18
Wk 3	W 21-17@ Nebraska	5	77	15.4	0	47
Wk 5	L 28-34@ San Diego State	12	153	12.8	2	50	Season-high 153 yds
Wk 6	W 24-3vs Kent State	2	7	3.5	0	5
Wk 7	W 14-13@ Buffalo	1	18	18.0	0	18
Wk 8	W 48-17@ Bowling Green	3	17	5.7	0	8
Wk 9	W 30-27vs Eastern Michigan	3	39	13.0	0	16
Wk 10	L 17-27@ Toledo	2	16	8.0	0	11
Wk 11	W 63-17vs Ball State	2	27	13.5	1	19
Wk 12	W 35-31vs Western Michigan	1	10	10.0	0	10
Wk 13	L 24-31@ Central Michigan	4	26	6.5	0	11
Bowl	L 14-36vs Duke	3	28	9.3	0	18
Total		41	442	10.3	4	50

Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology