Illinois Fighting Illini

Big Ten · Gies Memorial Stadium (Champaign, IL) · Champaign, IL

9-4 2025 record (5-4 conf)
Title odds (#43 board)
Win total (O -152)
42% Returning starter games
33rd Hardest path of 138

Coaching

All coaches
Bret Bielema Head Coach · 6th year
37–26 At ILL
134–84 Career · 18 seasons
Spread Offense
Multiple 3-3-5 Defense

Returning production

UnitRet gamesGamesDepthShare
Skill offense 65%48 / 746 / 1336%
Offensive line 58%35 / 608 / 1167%
Defensive front 0%0 / 877 / 2414%
Secondary 57%34 / 608 / 1518%

Back 30

Tanner Heckel DB · 2 INT+PD · 13g 18%
Brandon Henderson OL · 13g 15%
Brandon Hansen OL · 11g 13%
TJ McMillen OL · 11g 13%
Kaden Feagin TE · 695 yds · 13g 9%
Joe Barna DL · 5 havoc · 12g 6%

Gone 36

Miles Scott SAF · 6 INT+PD · 13g · gone 55%
Luke Altmyer QB · 3,252 yds · 13g · gone 41%
Gabe Jacas DE · 28 havoc · 12g · gone 34%
Torrie Cox Jr. DB · 3 INT+PD · 13g · gone 27%
Melvin Priestly OL · 13g · gone 15%
Josh Kreutz OL · 12g · gone 14%

New 12

Katin Houser QB · 3,493 yds · 12g · from ECU
Alex Perry WR · 840 yds · 13g · from FIU
Jayshon Platt WR · 756 yds · 12g · from FAU
Ty Robinson WR · 190 yds · 10g · from BALL
Darrell Prater DL · 13 havoc · 14g · from JVST
Christian Martin OL · 12g · from CSU

2025 Percentile vs FBS

Offense

Points per game 29.4 61
Explosive play rate 11.4% 57
Red zone TD rate 65.7% 28
Line yards per carry 2.4 38
Sack rate allowed 7.7% 23

Defense

Points allowed per game 23.6 58
Explosive rate allowed 7.8% 93
Red zone score rate allowed 87.0% 25
Line yards per carry allowed 2.6 37
Sack rate 5.7% 37

2025 Margin by Game

WIU
DUKE
WMU
IND
USC
PUR
OSU
WASH
RUTG
MD
WIS
NW
TENN

2026 schedule

33rd-hardest path in FBS · 2 title-contender games · 5 road
W1Fri 1:00 AMvs UAB4-8 29 BTN
W2Sat 7:30 PMvs Duke9-5 43Fox Sports 1
W3Sat 6:00 PMvs Southern Illinois Salukis 8Peacock
W4Sat 5:00 PM@ Ohio State12-2 83
W5Sat 5:00 PMvs Purdue2-10 25
W6Sat 5:00 PM@ Michigan State4-8 34
W8Sat 5:00 PMvs Oregon13-2 77
W9Sat 5:00 PM@ Maryland4-8 31
W10Sat 1:00 AMvs Nebraska7-6 33FOX
W11Sat 2:00 AM@ UCLA3-9 35FOX
W12Sat 6:00 PMvs Iowa9-4 43
W13Sat 6:00 PM@ Northwestern7-6 41

Depth chart

Transfer First year
Starter2nd3rd
QB Katin Houser 5TH · #4 Carson Boyd SO · #2 Michael Clayton II FR · #7
RB Ca'Lil Valentine JR · #5 Aidan Laughery 5TH · #21 Jordan Anderson 5TH · #23
WR-X Collin Dixon SR · #17 Ty Robinson GR · #10 Jershaun Newton SO · #6
WR-Z Jayshon Platt 5TH · #1 Alex Perry 5TH · #9 Nas Rankin FR · #0
WR-SL Hudson Clement 5TH · #13 Brayden Trimble SO · #11 Eddie Kasper 5TH · #80
TE Christian Abney SR · #86 Kaden Feagin SR · #83 Davin Stoffel SR · #88
LT Christian Martin SR · #72 Champ Smith FR · #52 Alfred Washington SR · #51
LG Maika Matelau SO · #70 Brandon Hansen JR · #66 Dylan Frechette SO · #76
C Jake Renfro GR · #59 TJ McMillen SR · #55 Michael McDonough SO · #68
RG Brandon Henderson SR · #75 Eddie Tuerk JR · #78 Griffin Rousseau SO · #54
RT Nathan Knapik JR · #71 TJ Taylor JR · #79 Zafir Stewart JR · #74

Roster 118

#PlayerPosClassHtWtHometown
0 Nas RankinWRFR6'0"170Chicago, IL
0 Mac ResetichDBSR6'0"210Spring Valley, IL
1 Xavier ScottDB5TH5'11"195Riviera Beach, FL
1 Jayshon PlattWR5TH6'1"195North Port, FL
2 RJ Jones IIIDBSO6'0"175Fort Pierce, FL
2 Carson BoydQBSO6'0"190St. Louis, MO
3 Kenyon AlstonWRFR6'2"195Orlando, FL
3 Nick Hankins Jr.DBFR6'0"205Belleville, IL
4 Daniel BrownLB5TH6'1"255Kansas City, KS
4 Katin HouserQB5TH6'3"225Anaheim, CA
5 Jakwon MorrisDBJR6'0"185Tupelo, MS
5 Ca'Lil ValentineRBJR5'11"205Hayward, CA
6 Jershaun NewtonWRSO6'0"215St. Petersburg, FL
6 Juice ClarkeDBSR6'1"185Fort Myers, FL
7 Matthew BaileyDB5TH6'2"225Moline, IL
7 Michael Clayton IIQBFR6'4"205Orlando, FL
8 Cameron ThomasLBFR6'0"220Cincinnati, OH
8 Jacob EberhartWRFR6'4"220St. Louis, MO
9 Alex PerryWR5TH6'5"220Port Charlotte, FL
9 Lavon WilliamsDB5TH5'10"195San Antonio, TX
10 James KreutzLB5TH6'2"240Bannockburn, IL
10 Ty RobinsonWRGR6'4"205Aurora, CO
11 Jacob AlexanderLBFR6'4"245Frankfort, IL
11 Brayden TrimbleWRSO6'1"195Mount Zion, IL
12 Isaiah WilliamsDBFR6'2"210Houston, TX
12 Dane EisenmengerQBFR6'4"215Tolono, IL
13 Xanai ScottDBSO5'11"210Riviera Beach, FL
13 Hudson ClementWR5TH6'1"215Martinsburg, WV
14 Maurice Smith Jr.TE5TH6'4"255Fort Pierce, FL
14 Andre Lovett Jr.DBSO6'1"190Blue Island, IL
15 Kingston ShawDLFR6'3"260Apopka, FL
16 Tanner HeckelDBJR5'11"195Lyndon, KS
16 Logan FarrellTESO6'3"255Arlington Heights, IL
17 Collin DixonWRSR6'1"215Tallmadge, OH
17 Isaiah ThomisonDLSR6'3"290Fayetteville, TN
18 Mason MuraginLBSR6'4"250Macomb, MI
18 Jack GrayPFR6'2"210Adelaide,, AUS
19 Nate CichyWRFR6'1"195Mount Prospect, IL
20 Almirian ThomasDBFR5'11"180Fort Myers, FL
20 John ForsterRBSO5'10"195Montvale, NJ
21 Ben ClawsonDB5TH6'0"210Arlington Heights, IL
21 Aidan LaugheryRB5TH5'11"200Gibson City, IL
22 Deuce FillmoreDBSR5'11"190Biloxi, MS
22 Cedric Wyche IIRBSO5'10"210Fort Lauderdale, FL
23 Jaylen StewartLBFR6'2"240Houston, TX
23 Jordan AndersonRB5TH6'4"240Naperville, IL
24 Will HolmesDLJR6'4"260Detroit, MI
24 Javari BarnettRBFR6'1"235Tampa, FL
25 Des StraughtonDBSO6'0"210Detroit, MI
25 Nelsyn WheelerRBFR5'9"205Grand Island, NE
26 Ismael KanteLB5TH6'2"240Brooklyn Park, MN
27 Lucas OsadaKJR6'1"195Charlottesville, VA
27 Corey RashadRBSR5'8"185Chicago, IL
28 Karson KaiserWRJR6'1"175Weston, FL
28 Kayden BennettLBFR6'1"235Windsor, CT
29 James Finley IVDBSO6'2"195Portage, IN
30 Tony WilliamsLBFR5'11"235Jacksonville, FL
31 Murphy ClementRBJR6'0"215Martinsburg, WV
32 Tywan CoxDBSO5'10"190Miami, FL
33 Grant BeermanLBSO6'5"240West Chester, OH
34 Erik GayleLBSO6'3"240Cincinnati, OH
35 Kaedyn CobbsDBFR6'1"220Denton, TX
37 Caden ConsidineDBFR6'0"215Byron, IL
37 Ethan MoczulskiK5TH5'11"195Spokane, WA
38 Jack ParisLBSO6'2"225River Forest, IL
40 Ean RheaDL5TH6'2"240Glade Spring, VA
42 Peyton SmithTE5TH6'5"250Rocklin, CA
43 Joe BarnaDLJR6'4"280Wheaton, IL
44 Patrick Mahoney IIILSSR6'2"210Northbrook, IL
45 Robert EdmonsonLBSR6'2"240Houston, TX
48 Carter SmithDLJR6'3"250Rolling Meadows, IL
49 Zach HaberLSSR5'10"220Durango, CO
51 Parker CrimDLFR6'3"270Lima, OH
51 Alfred WashingtonOLSR6'7"310Pensacola, FL
52 Champ SmithOLFR6'6"330Fort Pierce, FL
52 Pat FarrellDLSR6'5"285Oak Lawn, IL
53 Kai PritchardOLFR6'5"290Little Egg Harbor Township, NJ
54 Demetrius JohnDLJR6'3"295Columbus, OH
54 Griffin RousseauOLSO6'7"315Stoughton, WI
55 TJ McMillenOLSR6'3"300Naperville, IL
55 Tony BalanganayiDLFR6'4"290Palatine, IL
56 Guillermo GallardoDL5TH6'3"315Bloomington, IL
56 JJ HirdesOLSO6'6"290Coopersville, MI
57 Zach BarrettOLJR6'3"295Orland Park, IL
59 Jake RenfroOLGR6'4"320Mokena, IL
62 Casey ThomannOLFR6'8"330Olney, IL
65 Dezmond SchusterOLGR6'5"330Gonzales, LA
66 Brandon HansenOLJR6'6"320Mundelein, IL
68 Michael McDonoughOLSO6'3"315Tinley Park, IL
70 Maika MatelauOLSO6'3"305Upland, CA
71 Nathan KnapikOLJR6'7"300Kennewick, WA
72 Christian MartinOLSR6'7"310St. Rose, LA
74 Zafir StewartOLJR6'6"325Philadelphia, PA
75 Brandon HendersonOLSR6'5"320East St. Louis, IL
76 Dylan FrechetteOLSO6'6"325Central Falls, RI
78 Eddie TuerkOLJR6'4"315La Grange, IL
79 TJ TaylorOLJR6'5"330Santa Clarita, CA
80 Eddie KasperWR5TH5'10"170Burlington, WI
81 Leslie Mosley Jr.WRFR5'10"175Belle Glade, FL
81 Lars RauPJR6'3"195Novato, CA
82 Jacob HarveyWRFR6'0"200Mount Zion, IL
83 Kaden FeaginTESR6'3"260Atwood, IL
84 Grant SmithTESO6'5"225Forsyth, IL
85 Will Vala IIITEFR6'3"245Downers Grove, IL
86 Christian AbneyTESR6'6"260Zionsville, IN
87 Josh LorickWR5TH6'0"180Adelanto, CA
87 BJ ThurmanTESO6'4"235Berkeley, CA
88 Davin StoffelTESR6'6"265Mosinee, WI
89 Tanner HollingerTEJR6'5"245Stromsburg, NE
90 Carter JankiDL5TH6'5"295Redding, CT
91 Cameron BrooksDLSO6'3"305Chicago, IL
92 Deon WilliamsDLSO6'2"305Las Vegas, NV
94 Connor SullivanDLSO6'4"290Glenview, IL
95 Isaiah WhiteDLSO6'2"325Indianapolis, IN
96 Darrell PraterDL5TH6'3"310Fort Payne, AL
98 Joshua DavisDLSO6'3"285Mendenhall, MS
99 Landen Von SeggernTEFR6'4"280Omaha, NE
99 King LigginsDLFR6'3"300Crete, IL