Look back on Arkansas State’s recruiting class of 2020, and you’ll find familiar faces. Offensive lineman Austin Woods was the top rated recruit. The class includes members of today’s starting lineup, like offensive lineman Noah Smith and safety Trevian Thomas. Other notables include Lincoln Pare (now hauling rocks for Texas State) and Kenneth Harris (currently affiliated with the Oklahoma State Cowboys). Ranked between Harris and the immortal Denzel Blackwell is a three-start wide receiver from Yazoo City, Mississippi – 6’1″ wide receiver Corey Rucker, a lightly recruited athlete whose offer sheet included UCA, ULM and South Alabama.
On signing day, Rucker was just another guy among guys. Then head coach Blake Anderson took a flyer on him, and Rucker took a flyer on A-State – a mutual roll of the dice. The gamble paid off. The freshman wide receiver saw action in 8 games for Arkansas State, amassing 453 yards and five touchdowns in The Covid Year highlighted by a win over Kansas State (Rucker caught two balls, with 34 of his 39 yards coming on one big play). But it was the season’s final game that exposed the world to Rucker’s potential – a 310 yard, four touchdown masterpiece against ULM. The performance, which set Arkansas State records for receiving yards and touchdowns, garnered national attention. It was also Rucker’s first career start, replacing Arkansas State Man™ Jay Adams who was out with a hairline hip fracture.
One might recall how that game gave Red Wolves fans hope for the future. When Blake Anderson departed for Utah State, it seemed that Rucker and his young running mate, Jeff Foreman, would lead a new generation of offensive powerhouse for Arkansas State. There didn’t seem to be a ceiling for Rucker. Expectations hovered in the JD McKissic and Omar Bayless range of legendary Arkansas State receivers. In Butch Jones’ first year as head coach, Rucker led the team with 826 receiving yards and notched nine touchdowns. There was no place for Rucker to go except the stratosphere.
Rockstar Ruck Heads to SC
The 2021 Arkansas State football team was Year One of a long term rebuild. The Red Wolves managed two wins and turned-in its worst season since the dark days of John Bobo. With Jones committed to building a roster through developmental recruits, it didn’t seem that the program was going to rebound anytime soon. At the end of the season, Rucker announced his intention to transfer, selecting South Carolina as his new stop after considering Auburn, Utah State and USC.
Rucker’s transfer darkened the cloud that had settled over the Red Wolves fan base. He wasn’t just another guy looking for greener pastures. During his brief stint at Arkansas State, Rucker had made himself a highly visible Red Wolves ambassador, frequently appearing at university sporting events to lend his support, often compounding his fandom with tweets embellished by his trademark electric guitar emoji. His fondness for Andy’s (a staple restaurant on Red Wolf Boulevard) and its famous frozen custard was an endearing trait. He liked to bowl. He had ingrained himself to the community the way only a few college athletes do. To call his departure heart breaking may only be a slight hyperbole.
Meanwhile, Corey Rucker went to work at his new home. During South Carolina’s media day, he stood out by wearing a “sparkly unicorn hat.” He launched a clothing line, Rockstar Apparel. Just as he made an effort to connect with Jonesboro, Rucker did at Columbia, South Carolina. He reportedly purchasing his own bowling ball so he could join the locals at the lanes.
However, Rucker was slowed by a preseason foot fracture that prevented him from seeing action his first three games as a Gamecock. In week four against Charlotte, Rucker finally had the opportunity to display his gridiron gifts, executing a 52-yard, fourth quarter touchdown reception to seals a 56-20 win over the 49ers. The touchdown came with a cost; Rucker re-aggravated the foot injury. By November, the team announced the he was undergoing surgery and was done for the season.
Welcome Back, Ruck
2022 wasn’t a banner year for Arkansas State either. The team improved from two wins to three with tight end Seydou Traore’s 655 yards leading the team in reception yards. The team finished 10th for scoring and dead last for total offense in the Sun Belt. With Traore destined to put himself into the transfer portal, Butch Jones was in desperate need of offensive spark.
Corey Rucker, still in a walking boot following foot surgery, entered the re-entered the transfer portal in December. In January, news broke that he was returning to Arkansas State. “When he called and asked to come back, for me and everyone in this building, it was a no-brainer,” said Coach Jones. “I love everything about him.”
Would Rucker be welcomed back with open arms by everyone? Fans were conflicted. Players bailing for “greener pastures” were often met with a dim attitude, which was compounded in Jonesboro by the recent defection of star tight end Traore. But Rucker was different. He wasn’t just a star wide receiver. He was one of us – a dude who seemed as at home at an A-State soccer game as he was running routes on the gridiron. And besides, the team needed him badly. Poor circumstances led to quick forgiveness.
In spring, Rucker was cleared by the NCAA for eligibility to play immediately. By the end of the 2023 season, Rucker led the team in receiving with 705 yards, propelling the Red Wolves to its first bowl game since 2019 and aiding in the development of Sun Belt Freshman of the Year Jaylen Raynor. Rucker was back! And yet Rucker, who scored just two touchdowns on the season, wasn’t quite the dominating presence the Red Wolves most desperately needed. The offense was still looking for an Omar Bayless/Jay Adams type of player who could be counted on to take matters into his own sure hands. As talented a receiver as Corey Rucker was, perhaps he just wasn’t The Guy.
RuckStar Back On Stage in Jonesboro
Corey Rucker appeared in street clothes during the 2024 Spring Game, injured and not looking especially happy about it. He hobbled up and down the sideline awkwardly, clearly wanting to be free of the knee brace that hindered his movements. With Butch Jones’ recruiting classes finally maturing, expectations were high for Rucker and the team. It seemed he didn’t want to waste a moment in medical recovery.
By the season opener, Rucker was ready, even if the Red Wolves weren’t quite there yet. The team’s opening game with UCA, a top ten FCS program, proved desperately challenging. Down 31-27 with 55 seconds left on the clock, Jaylen Raynor led the Red Wolves offense down the field, assisted by a huge 42 yard pass to Rucker. With just six seconds on the clock, the Red Wolves found themselves on the Bears seven yard line. Raynor tossed a corner end zone pass to a diving Corey Rucker, who made the (controversial) grab to seal a 34-31 victory.
The outcome underscored Rucker’s emerging legacy as the team’s take-charge offensive threat. His was the touchdown that pulled Arkansas State ahead of Tulsa in the third quarter. His were the 192 yards the fueled Arkansas State’s comeback win against Troy. His were the 172 yards (including a 51 yard bomb) that spurred the win over South Alabama. Eight games into the season, Rucker is two yards shy of his entire 2023 yardage (703). He is undoubtably the Red Wolves go-to man when the hardest yards are needed most. His 103 yards after the catch against Troy illustrated Rucker’s refusal to allow the Red Wolves to go down without a fight.
Astonishingly, Corey Rucker is officially in his junior season. There’s more Rucker left in the tank. Every drop is needed by Arkansas State, who finds itself with four games left on the 2024 docket, still in the hunt for a SBC title, and a single victory from bowl eligibility. The path Corey Rucker has taken to stardom finds him right here in the thick of a conference race – just where we all thought he’d be.
PHOTOS ARE MINE
Howlraiser 