5 observations from the massive Illinois football win over Kansas

3. Illinois went with a freshman in closing time

Over the past few months, I have mentioned that I think the Illinois running back room is deep. We have a lot of talent that can carry the rock, and this is a huge luxury for the program.

Kaden Feagin got most of the work for Illinois against Kansas. He had 16 carries for 40 yards and a touchdown. Feagin is a monster and someone who is going to bowl you over if he gets a head of steam.

The first player off the bench for Illinois was Aidan Laughery. The quick running back had his chance with four carries for 10 yards. He also had a touchdown opportunity, but he dropped the ball and surrendered four points to the Jayhawks.

And then there is Josh McCray. He has been with the program for four years now and is the most experienced running back on the roster.

You have those three running backs in tow, and what does Illinois do in the crunch time down the stretch to seal away the game? We go with a true freshman running back.

Ca’Lil Valentine was a highly touted ball carrier coming out of high school. He was a four-star recruit, but this kid didn’t enter the program early. He was a standard enrollee in the summer and entered the program when normal kids entered.

Despite what some would see as a late start by today’s standards, Valentine has earned an immense amount of trust with the Illinois coaching staff.

Leading up to the final Illinois drive of the game, Valentine only had one carry. He wasn’t a big part of the proceeding by any means.

The final drive didn’t start with Valentine either. Feagin had a carry and reception in the first three plays. But then Valentine was subbed into the game. This came as a shocker. A true freshman is in to help salt away a top-20 program.

Valentine was sensational, though. In that final drive, he had seven carries for 28 yards. This included two first down carries. One of those first down carries was on 3rd-and-6 at the Kansas 31-yard line. Illinois needed to extend the drive, and Valentine put a move on the defense that helped him go for 10 yards and a first down. It was impressive for a seasoned veteran, let alone a true freshman.

The fact the Illinois coaching staff felt comfortable enough to have Valentine out there in a crucial situation shows you the level of trust with him. Keep an eye on his role moving forward. Something tells me it is about to grow greatly.