It has already been a whirlwind of a week for Illinois, and it is only Tuesday, but head coach Bret Bielema was able to provide some good news in his press conference on Monday. After being hit with some tough injuries to start the season, the Illini seem to be getting healthy again, which couldn't come at a better time.
The offensive line has been hit the hardest by injuries, having to dig deep into the depth chart at the guard position, especially. Bielema gave the bad news that Champ Smith would likely be out this week after getting rolled up on against Ohio State. Smith played well in place of Brandon Henderson, who was out against the Buckeyes.
On the flip side, though, Bielema gave good updates on both Henderson and Maika Matelau, who were both cleared for practice on Tuesday. The other injury update that fans will be happy to hear is that FAU transfer Jayshon Platt should also be working back with the team this week and could be ready for Purdue.
#illini Bret Bielema: OL Champ Smith will likely be out this week. OL Maika Matelau and Brandon Henderson cleared to practice this week. WR Jayshon Platt should return to practice this week. We'll see how the week goes.
— Jeremy Werner (@JWerner247) September 28, 2026
Illinois getting healthy on offense could take some pressure off the defense
On the defensive front, linebacker Daniel Brown was able to return to play against Ohio State and will continue to ramp up his reps. Other than that, the Illini have been pretty lucky with a low number of injuries on the defense.
With a couple of players returning on the offense, it could help with taking pressure off the defense. Granted, it can't be all on the offense to keep the Illini in games, but if Katin Houser can drive the team down the field consistently and walk away with points, it could help the defense, which is going through a big change right now with defensive coordinator Bobby Hauck gone.
The return of Henderson and Matelau is huge for an Illinois offensive line that has struggled in recent weeks. Bielema spent a lot of time working on the offensive line in the offseason, especially since there weren't a lot of vets returning. So getting the line back to its original starters is huge for the protection of Houser and a run game that has been strong this season.
Hopefully, Platt will be able to make his Illinois debut this weekend after suffering an injury late in fall camp. When Bielma first broke the news of Platt's injury, it was unknown how long he would be out, and sophomore Brayden Trimble has been called on to step up.
When it comes to the receiving game, Collin Dixon has totally stolen the show, leading Illinois with 30 receptions for 430 yards and seven touchdowns. Ohio State was able to keep Dixon quiet by his standards on Saturday, and WR2 Hudson Clement really stepped up. Having that strong third wide receiver, though, could really help this offense.
Platt's return, or really debut, is one that could stretch the field even more for the Illini, and Houser has already shown he has the arm to get the ball downfield. Illinois is getting healthy at the right time, which is great with some very winnable games coming up.
Add us as a preferred source on Google