No matter who the Illinois football team plays, having all hands on deck is extremely important.
So far this season, the Illini haven’t had too many injuries. There have been some players who are out for the season, but they aren’t key contributors. On Thursday, the fanbase got some rough news.
According to Carson Gourdie of WICS ABC 20, Illinois starting running back Adian Laughery will be a game-time decision for the Western Michigan game on Saturday.
#illini Bret Bielema said “game time decision” if RB Aidan Laughery plays against Western Michigan
— Carson Gourdie (@GourdieReport) September 11, 2025
LB Daniel Brown out this week after a procedure
DB Jaheim Clarke out this week.
LB Dylan Rosiek should “be able to go” on Saturday but monitoring situation
Illinois vs… pic.twitter.com/9QpQvHgFPO
This news comes just days after Bret Bielema announced that Laughery left the game early against Duke, and he was hopeful that he would be good to go for the game against the Broncos.
Laughery’s season has been a mixed bag thus far. He dominated against Western Illinois, going for 101 yards and two touchdowns while only having nine carries on the ground. He also had two receptions for 22 yards. Against Duke, it was a different story. He had six carries for five yards before leaving the game.
Illinois football has loaded up the running back room in case of injury
It would be disappointing if Laughery can’t suit up against Western Michigan, but it might not be a bad idea to give him some rest heading into the meat of the 2025 season.
Illinois has loaded up for situations like this. If Laughery does sit this one out, I would imagine Kaden Feagin takes the lead role at running back. He leads the team this season with 30 carries for 122 yards and two touchdowns.
The depth continues on past Feagin. Ca’Lil Valentine will get his fair share of carries, too. The duo of Feagin and Valentine should be able to suffice against an overmatched Western Michigan squad. Bielema has the Illini prepared for bumps in the road.