Illinois secured its first Big Ten win of the season after a nail-biting overtime victory over Michigan State, but while the Illini won, they also felt a sense of loss with the injury to quarterback Katin Houser.
Near the end of the third quarter against Michigan State, Houser threw an interception and, unsurprisingly, went to tackle the returning player as any quarterback would. Well, in doing so, Houser paid the price with an injury to his hand, one that could keep him out for the rest of the season, or so we thought.
In his press conference on Tuesday, Bret Bielema shared an update on Houser, saying he underwent a successful surgery with a timeline to return in four to six weeks.
NEW: #Illini QB Katin Houser had a procedure done, and Bret Bielema says the timeline he was given is 4-6 weeks. pic.twitter.com/OTESj7YLfb
— Glenn Kinley (@glenn_kinley) October 14, 2026
If all goes well for Houser, at best, he could return for the final three games of the season against No. 12 UCLA, No. 17 Iowa, and No. 25 Northwestern. On the longer end of the timeline, Houser could return for the final game of the season against the Wildcats, but as of right now, this will be Michael Clayton II's offense going forward.
Should Bret Bielema consider playing Michael Clayton II the rest of the season?
Houser came to Illinois in the offseason through the transfer portal after spending two seasons at Michigan State and then two seasons at ECU, making him a fifth-year senior. Even with the new five-for-five rule, Houser will be out of eligibility after this season and will have a decision to make about his future as a football player.
For Illinois, Bielema will either hit the portal again for a quarterback or could choose to stick with Clayton. Either way, Illinois will have a different quarterback on the field next season who isn't Houser, so maybe Bielema should consider giving Clayton the extra experience for the rest of the season.
Understandably, this is Houser's offense; it has been since he set foot in Champaign in the spring, but if Bielema is wanting to plan for the future, which he should with a 3-3 record and a CFP spot completely out the window, Clayton should start the rest of the season.
I get it, this is Houser's final college football season, so Bielema will probably allow him to finish it out if he is able to come back, but when thinking about the future for Illinois, this is invaluable experience for Clayton, especially when thinking about whether he will be the starter for the Illini next season.
Clayton played the entire fourth quarter and overtime for Illinois, going six-for-eight with 88 passing yards and two touchdowns. It was a great start for the sophomore, who now has a bye week to get ready for his next start against Oregon on October 24.
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