Football

Tennessee may likely showcasing two freshman starters in its secondary for the 2025 Music City Bowl matchup against Illinois.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

December 27. 2025

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The biggest Tennessee mystery for this Music City Bowl game will likely be solved when the Volunteers first line up on defense.

Tennessee will be without starting cornerback Colton Hood after the 20-year-old declared for the 2026 National Football League Draft and opted out participating in this bowl game after earning All-Southeastern Conference second team honors from The Associated Press and a All-SEC third team selection from the league’s coaches. The Georgia native, who spent one season at Tennessee after previous stops at Auburn and Colorado, made 50 tackles and made one interception, which the 2025 Jim Thorpe Award semifinalist returned for a touchdown this season against Mississippi State.

The trio of rushing production for Illinois consisting of Kaden Feagin, Aidan Laughery and Ca'Lil Valentine are all expected to return for the Illini in the 2026 season.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

December 27, 2025

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — All three tailbacks leading the Illinois rushing attack this season are expected to return to Bret Bielema’s Illini program for the 2026 campaign.

Aidan Laughery, who received three starts including starts in the first two games of the 2025 season, confirmed in his post-practice availability to IlliniGuys.com he would not be considering the transfer portal after concluding his season-ending 1-on-1 meetings with Illini coaches before the holiday break.

Laughery, who rushed for 67 yards on 16 attempts nearly a year ago in the Citrus Bowl win over then-No. 14 South Carolina, is expecting to use this postseason game a springboard for himself and an Illini rushing attack that finished 13th in a 18-team Big Ten Conference this season.

Laughery said Saturday he’s fully healthy for the first time this season after playing through a recurring ankle injury from the 45-19 win at Duke on Sept. 6 and forced the Gibson City native to miss four games this season and be limited to only 62 carries in 2025 campaign.

Illinois may turn to a likely 2026 starter ot a younger player who hasn’t experienced any game in an Illini jersey to replace J.C. Davis vs. Tennessee in Music City Bowl.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

December 27, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics; the player depicted is not Brandon Henderson)

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Illinois coaching staff has been using this opt-out by J.C. Davis to rotate in several options at left tackle during bowl preparation practices.

Illinois offensive coordinator Barry Lunney Jr. confirmed that both Knapik brothers who transferred in nearly a year ago from Idaho have seen first-team reps at the left tackle position for this 2025 Music City Bowl matchup versus Tennessee on Dec. 30 (4:30 p.m. CST, ESPN). Illinois has begun on-site, closed bowl practices inside Vanderbilt’s newly renovated FirstBank Stadium on the West End of Nashville with veteran players being back in full action after being given limited reps on the on-site practices inside the Smith Family Football Complex before the team gave the players off for the Christmas holiday.

By Zeno Jo - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

December 27, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy player's Instagram page)

While the thick of the holiday season is now behind us with Black Friday and Christmas in the rear-view mirror, it’s never too late to do some eye shopping – especially in today’s college sports world.

The Music City Bowl against Tennessee is yet to be played, and we’re still weeks, if not months, away from portal commitments rolling around. Still, here’s the first edition of a shortlist of wish list players from the transfer portal. While it’s always great to cast a wide net in recruiting, this first list is staying a bit more realistic, grounded in previous interest or the obvious geographic relations these players have to Illinois.

IlliniGuys.com has further information on a veteran quarterback that Illinois is hopeful to get an official visit from after the Music City Bowl. 

Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Beat Reporter

December 26, 2025

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Illinois has its eyes on the Ivy League for a possible veteran transfer quarterback to lead its offense for the upcoming 2026 season. 

By IlliniGuys Staff December 25, 2025 (Cover photo courtesy […]

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By Steve Sturm - IlliniGuys Football Analyst

December 20, 2025

I've used the college schedule break to check in on the commitments after their senior years. This is the second of my two-piece article with the first one being on the offensive commits and this one on the defense.

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Sr. Recruiting Analyst

December 18, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Kedric Prince/IlliniGuys)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — One of the headline prospects in Illinois football’s 2026 recruiting class is quarterback Michael Clayton II, who committed to the Illini in November 2024 and never looked back.

Several IlliniGuys writers and analysts were asked to identify players who could rise to the top in this class, and the conversation consistently returned to Clayton, the 6-foot-4, 200-pound signal caller from Edison High School in Miami, Florida.

We caught up with Clayton for a one-on-one Q&A to discuss signing day, his next steps, and even the unique celebrity of his high school coach, Luther Campbell, the former rapper known as Luke Skyywalker from 2 Live Crew.

Kedric: How does it feel to finally be signed and knowing what's ahead of you?

Michael: I’ve known I wanted

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Illinois head coach Bret Bielema confirms All-Big Ten defensive back Matthew Bailey will not be active for the Music City Bowl game after having surgery immediately following the regular season.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

December 13, 2025

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Add Matthew Bailey to the list of the Illinois players who will not be participating in the upcoming Music City Bowl game.

Approximately an hour before the opening tip of the Illinois men’s basketball conference home opener versus Nebraska, Illinois head football coach Bret Bielema confirmed Saturday in his local media conference inside State Farm Center that Bailey will not be part of the Music City Bowl roster. Bielema detailed that Bailey elected to have surgery a few days after the regular season finale win over Northwestern to repair an upper body injury sustained in the middle of the 2025 campaign.

Since the Illini’s 42-25 loss at Washington, Bailey has been seen wearing a cast/club on his right hand but Bielema said the injury was “from something prior to this year” despite the fourth-year safety was never added to the conference-mandated availability report due to the injury.

“Last season we had seven postseason shoulder surgeries and this year there has been one already,” Bielema said Saturday referencing Bailey’s surgery last month was on his shoulder.

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