Illinois Fighting Illini

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

9-4 2025 record (5-4 conf)
Win total (O -113)
33% Returning starter games
35th 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 21%13 / 638 / 1351%
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 12%
Brandon Hansen OL · 11g 10%
TJ McMillen OL · 11g 10%
Kaden Feagin TE · 695 yds · 13g 9%
Joe Barna DL · 5 havoc · 12g 6%

Gone 38

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 12%
Josh Gesky G · 13g · gone 12%

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

35th-hardest path in FBS · 4 title-contender games · 5 road
W1Fri 1:00 AMvs UAB4-8 29W 42-23BTN
W2Sat 7:30 PMvs Duke9-5 43L 27-31Fox Sports 1
W3Sat 6:00 PMvs Southern Illinois Salukis 8W 48-10Peacock
W4Sat 4:00 PM@ Ohio State12-2 86L 19-42FOX
W5Sat 8:15 PMvs Purdue2-10 25L 17-24BTN
W6Sat 7:30 PM@ Michigan State4-8 34W 38-37Fox Sports 1
W8Sat 5:00 PMvs Oregon13-2 60
W9Sat 5:00 PM@ Maryland4-8 30
W10Sat 1:00 AMvs Nebraska7-6 35FOX
W11Sat 2:00 AM@ UCLA3-9 38FOX
W12Sat 6:00 PMvs Iowa9-4 45
W13Sat 6:00 PM@ Northwestern7-6 41

Depth chart

Confirmed unavailable players omitted · backups promoted 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 SR · #10 Nate Cichy FR · #19
WR-Z Hudson Clement 5TH · #13 Jershaun Newton SO · #6 Jacob Eberhart FR · #8
WR-SL 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 Kai Pritchard FR · #53
LG Brandon Hansen JR · #66 Michael McDonough SO · #68
C Jake Renfro SR · #59 Zafir Stewart JR · #74
RG Champ Smith FR · #52 Eddie Tuerk JR · #78
RT Nathan Knapik JR · #71 Dezmond Schuster SR · #65

Roster 116

#PlayerPosClassHtWtHometown
0 Nas Rankin WRFR6'0"170Chicago, IL
0 Mac Resetich DBSR6'0"210Spring Valley, IL
1 Xavier Scott DB5TH5'11"195Riviera Beach, FL
1 Jayshon Platt WR5TH6'1"195North Port, FL
2 Carson Boyd QBSO6'0"190St. Louis, MO
3 Kenyon Alston WRFR6'2"195Orlando, FL
3 Nick Hankins Jr. DBFR6'0"205Belleville, IL
4 Daniel Brown LB5TH6'1"255Kansas City, KS
4 Katin Houser QB5TH6'3"225Anaheim, CA
5 Jakwon Morris DBJR6'0"185Tupelo, MS
5 Ca'Lil Valentine RBJR5'11"205Hayward, CA
6 Jershaun Newton WRSO6'0"215St. Petersburg, FL
6 Juice Clarke DBSR6'1"185Fort Myers, FL
7 Matthew Bailey DB5TH6'2"225Moline, IL
7 Michael Clayton II QBFR6'4"205Orlando, FL
8 Cameron Thomas LBFR6'0"220Cincinnati, OH
8 Jacob Eberhart WRFR6'4"220St. Louis, MO
9 Alex Perry WR5TH6'5"220Port Charlotte, FL
9 Lavon Williams DB5TH5'10"195San Antonio, TX
9 RJ Jones III WRSO6'0"175Fort Pierce, FL
10 James Kreutz LB5TH6'2"240Bannockburn, IL
10 Ty Robinson WRSR6'4"205Denver, CO
11 Jacob Alexander LBFR6'4"245Chicago, IL
11 Brayden Trimble WRSO6'1"195Mount Zion, IL
12 Isaiah Williams DBFR6'2"210Houston, TX
12 Dane Eisenmenger QBFR6'4"215Philo, IL
13 Xanai Scott DBSO5'11"210Riviera Beach, FL
13 Hudson Clement WR5TH6'1"215Martinsburg, WV
14 Maurice Smith Jr. TE5TH6'4"255Fort Pierce, FL
14 Andre Lovett Jr. DBSO6'1"190Blue Island, IL
15 Kingston Shaw DLFR6'3"260Apopka, FL
16 Tanner Heckel DBJR5'11"195Lyndon, KS
16 Logan Farrell TESO6'3"255Arlington Heights, IL
17 Collin Dixon WRSR6'1"215Tallmadge, OH
17 Isaiah Thomison DLSR6'3"290Fayetteville, TN
18 Mason Muragin LBSR6'4"250Macomb, MI
18 Jack Gray PFR6'2"210Adelaide,, AUS
19 Nate Cichy WRFR6'1"195Mount Prospect, IL
20 Almirian Thomas DBFR5'11"180Fort Myers, FL
20 John Forster RBSO5'10"195Saddle Brook, NJ
21 Ben Clawson DB5TH6'0"210Arlington Heights, IL
21 Aidan Laughery RB5TH5'11"200Gibson City, IL
22 Deuce Fillmore DBSR5'11"190Biloxi, MS
22 Cedric Wyche II RBSO5'10"210Fort Lauderdale, FL
23 Jaylen Stewart LBFR6'2"240Houston, TX
23 Jordan Anderson RB5TH6'4"240Naperville, IL
24 Will Holmes DLJR6'4"260Detroit, MI
24 Javari Barnett RBFR6'1"235Tampa, FL
25 Des Straughton DBSO6'0"210Detroit, MI
25 Nelsyn Wheeler RBFR5'9"205Grand Island, NE
26 Ismael Kante LB5TH6'2"240Brooklyn Park, MN
27 Lucas Osada KJR6'1"195Charlottesville, VA
27 Corey Rashad RBSR5'8"185Chicago, IL
28 Karson Kaiser WRJR6'1"175Weston, FL
28 Kayden Bennett LBFR6'1"235Windsor, CT
29 James Finley IV DBSO6'2"195Portage, IN
30 Tony Williams LBFR5'11"235Jacksonville, FL
31 Murphy Clement RBJR6'0"215Martinsburg, WV
32 Tywan Cox DBSO5'10"190Miami, FL
33 Grant Beerman LBSO6'5"240West Chester, OH
34 Erik Gayle LBSO6'3"240Cincinnati, OH
35 Kaedyn Cobbs DBFR6'1"220Denton, TX
37 Caden Considine DBFR6'0"215Byron, IL
37 Ethan Moczulski K5TH5'11"195Spokane, WA
38 Jack Paris LBSO6'2"225River Forest, IL
40 Ean Rhea LB5TH6'2"240Glade Spring, VA
43 Joe Barna DLJR6'4"280Wheaton, IL
44 Patrick Mahoney III LSSR6'2"210Northbrook, IL
45 Robert Edmonson LBSR6'2"240Houston, TX
48 Carter Smith DLJR6'3"250Rolling Meadows, IL
49 Zach Haber LSSR5'10"220Durango, CO
51 Parker Crim DLFR6'3"270Lima, OH
51 Alfred Washington OLSR6'7"310Pensacola, FL
52 Champ Smith OLFR6'6"330Fort Pierce, FL
52 Pat Farrell DLSR6'5"285Oak Lawn, IL
53 Kai Pritchard OLFR6'5"290Little Egg Harbor Township, NJ
54 Demetrius John DLJR6'3"295Columbus, OH
55 TJ McMillen OLSR6'3"300Naperville, IL
55 Tony Balanganayi DLFR6'4"290Palatine, IL
56 Guillermo Gallardo DL5TH6'3"315Bloomington, IL
56 JJ Hirdes OLSO6'6"290Coopersville, MI
57 Zach Barrett OLJR6'3"295Orland Park, IL
59 Jake Renfro OLSR6'4"320Mokena, IL
62 Casey Thomann OLFR6'8"330Olney, IL
65 Dezmond Schuster OLSR6'5"330Gonzales, LA
66 Brandon Hansen OLJR6'6"320Mundelein, IL
68 Michael McDonough OLSO6'3"315Tinley Park, IL
70 Maika Matelau OLSO6'3"305Ontario, CA
71 Nathan Knapik OLJR6'7"300Kennewick, WA
72 Christian Martin OLSR6'7"310St. Rose, LA
73 Griffin Rousseau OLSO6'7"315Stoughton, WI
74 Zafir Stewart OLJR6'6"325Philadelphia, PA
75 Brandon Henderson OLSR6'5"320East St. Louis, IL
76 Dylan Frechette OLSO6'6"325Central Falls, RI
78 Eddie Tuerk OLJR6'4"315La Grange, IL
79 TJ Taylor OLJR6'5"330Santa Clarita, CA
80 Eddie Kasper WR5TH5'10"170Burlington, WI
81 Leslie Mosley Jr. WRFR5'10"175Belle Glade, FL
81 Lars Rau PJR6'3"195Novato, CA
82 Jacob Harvey WRFR6'0"200Mount Zion, IL
83 Kaden Feagin TESR6'3"260Atwood, IL
84 Grant Smith TESO6'5"225Forsyth, IL
85 Will Vala III TEFR6'3"245Downers Grove, IL
86 Christian Abney TESR6'6"260Zionsville, IN
87 BJ Thurman TESO6'4"235Berkeley, CA
88 Davin Stoffel TESR6'6"265Mosinee, WI
89 Tanner Hollinger TEJR6'5"245Stromsburg, NE
90 Carter Janki DL5TH6'5"295Redding, CT
91 Cameron Brooks DLSO6'3"305Chicago, IL
92 Deon Williams DLSO6'2"305Las Vegas, NV
94 Connor Sullivan DLSO6'4"290Glenview, IL
95 Isaiah White DLSO6'2"325Indianapolis, IN
96 Darrell Prater DL5TH6'3"310Fort Payne, AL
98 Joshua Davis DLSO6'3"285Pinola, MS
99 Landen Von Seggern TEFR6'4"280Omaha, NE
99 King Liggins DLFR6'3"300Crete, IL