Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 3 games
| Wk | Opp | CAR | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 42-23vs UAB | 8 | 29 | 3.6 | 0 | 7 | |
| Wk 2 | L 27-31vs Duke | 10 | 37 | 3.7 | 0 | 9 | |
| Wk 3 | W 48-10vs Southern Illinois | 4 | 93 | 23.3 | 1 | 77 | Season-high 93 yds |
| Total | 22 | 159 | 10.2 | 1 | 77 |
#21
Aidan Laughery
Senior running back for Illinois. 2026: 3 games with a box-score line.
5′11″ · 200 lb · Gibson City, IL · GCMS
CFB Index 42 · #195 of 326 RBsHigh confidence
CFB Index
A single number blending on-field production (an EPA-based value lane) with box-score output for this player's position.
0-100, scaled within each position's own cohort — not directly comparable across positions.
The numbers
159
rushing yards · 2026 · through week 3
3 games into 2026 so far -- Backed by 12 car · 172 yds · 3 TD -- top 1% rushing yards game. -- Best game: 93 rush yds, 1 TD, vs Southern Illinois
The play that turned itSwung Illinois from 46% to 78% to win.Florida Atlantic at Illinois · 23-17
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
Senior running back for Illinois. 2026: 3 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to Illinois in 2022.
Buzz vs Tape
Fans hotter than the country
His own fans read him warmer than the wider college football conversation does — a gap of 43.8 points in belief.
43.8own fans
0national conversation
Aidan Laughery
Does a little of everything without one standout trait. He has spent five seasons in the Illinois backfield. In 2024 the league put his name on paper for the first time: All-Big Ten. One game to point at: 93 rush yds, 1 rush TD against Southern Illinois — Week 3, 2026.
159 RUSH YDS · 1 RUSH TD · 22 CARRIES
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- seasons on the roster
- recognition record
- game log
His career
Nobody recruited him. He earned the honors anyway.
2022
- Signed with Illinois3-star out of Gcms
202412 games
The role got bigger.
- All-Big Ten
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
Illinois
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2022–2026
1 coach2022–2026
Illinois
Played his entire career under Bret Bielema.
Career stats
Game log
Game by game
Aidan Laughery's 2026 production
Point color shows the opponent's defensive strength that week (red = weaker defense, blue = stronger) — dashed line is this player's own season average.
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 3 · 2026
W 48–10
Signature plays
Signature plays · top plays by |EPA|
The plays that mattered most
- Week 3 · Southern Illinois · 2&12 · Q1 · EPA +6.96(03:07) Shotgun #21 A.Laughery rush left for 77 yards gain to the SIU00 TOUCHDOWN, clock 02:57, 1ST DOWN #37 E.Moczulski kick attempt good (H: #81 L.Rau, LS: #44 P.Mahoney III)
- Week 1 · UAB · 3&1 · Q3 · EPA -1.17(01:13) Shotgun #21 A.Laughery rush middle for 0 yards to the UAB49 (#6 Q.Billingsley)
- Week 1 · UAB · 1&10 · Q2 · EPA -1.14(04:31) Shotgun #21 A.Laughery rush middle for 0 yards to the ILL41 (#4 M.Dean)
- Week 2 · Duke · 2&7 · Q1 · EPA +0.95(05:11) Shotgun #21 A.Laughery rush left for 9 yards gain to the DUKE34 (#2 P.Smith-Young), 1ST DOWN
- Week 2 · Duke · 3&2 · Q2 · EPA -0.91(13:34) Shotgun #21 A.Laughery rush middle for 1 yard gain to the DUKE40 (#44 D.Anderson; #95 P.Watson)
- Week 2 · Duke · 2&2 · Q4 · EPA -0.62(12:33) No Huddle-Shotgun #21 A.Laughery rush middle for 1 yard gain to the DUKE30 (#8 D.Stone). The previous play is under automatic review - "Short of the line to gain". CALL OVERTURNED. (Original Play: (12:33) No Huddle-Shotgun #21 A.Laughery rush middle for 2 yards gain to the DUKE29 (#8 D.Stone), 1ST DOWN)
- Week 1 · UAB · 3&3 · Q2 · EPA -0.62(03:41) #21 A.Laughery rush left for 2 yards gain to the ILL50 (#1 D.Sweeting), out of bounds
- Week 2 · Duke · 2&15 · Q1 · EPA +0.57(11:51) Shotgun #21 A.Laughery rush middle for 8 yards gain to the DUKE27 (#35 A.Pellicciotta)
- Week 1 · UAB · 2&6 · Q4 · EPA +0.56(14:01) Shotgun #4 K.Houser pass complete short right to #21 A.Laughery caught at UAB34, for 17 yards to the UAB16 (#35 M.Byard), out of bounds, 1ST DOWN
- Week 3 · Southern Illinois · 2&3 · Q1 · EPA +0.53(12:27) No Huddle-Shotgun #21 A.Laughery rush left for 6 yards gain to the ILL48 (#46 A.Behm; #0 G.Shepard), 1ST DOWN
2026 snapshot
Since week 2: +93 rushing yards, +1 rushing TD.
Season context · Team result + system
5 seasons under Bret Bielema — 34-20 over that span.
2022Illinois8-5HC: Bret Bielema · Run-leaning
2023Illinois5-7HC: Bret Bielema · Balanced
2024Illinois10-3HC: Bret Bielema · Run-leaning, slow tempo
2025Illinois9-4HC: Bret Bielema · Run-leaning
2026Illinois2-1HC: Bret Bielema · Balanced, slow tempo
Where this profile ranks vs the RB cohort
Box-score percentiles
High confidence
Elite: long run (96th percentile). Strength: yards / carry (89th percentile). Concern: carries (0th percentile).
Box-score rates (7)
Percentiles versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score rates.
Splits & context
Splits · Per-game
2026 season · 3 games
Home vs Road
| YDS/g | YPC | TD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home3g | 53.0 | 10.2 | 0.3 |
First half vs Second half
| YDS/g | YPC | TD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-73g | 53.0 | 10.2 | 0.3 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Bret Bielema
Pass share
48.8%
81 pass / 85 run
Plays / game
55.3
3 games
Team sack rate
2.2%
91 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Balanced, slow tempo.
Awards
Player standing · 2026
Backup
On the two-deep and pushing for snaps.
Recognition
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
2026 outlook
Outside shot for All-Big Ten
Based on 2025: #30 of 44 Big Ten RBs
How the All-Big Ten estimate is computed
15% estimated, 95% confidence interval 13–17%. Base rate measured from players who finished at a comparable rank in their conference and came back the next season. It is an estimate from a small sample, not a forecast of this player.
How he plays
Play style
Plays within the scheme — consistent production without a dominant dimension.
CFB Index positional classification
DNA match
Player DNA
Balanced Back
Plays within the scheme — consistent production without a dominant dimension.
RB
His 2025 production profile sits closest to TJ Green’s 2022 season.
Matches TJ on
Total rush EPA (college ability)
Yards / carry
Weight
Differs from TJ on
EPA / carry (adj) (lower)
Through 4 college seasons, his career arc tracks closest to Dylan Sampson’s path through Tennessee.
87%match
All-SECNFL Rd 4
Matches Dylan on
Height
Weight
Yards per carry
As a senior, his production profile tracks closest to Ajay Allen's senior season at Tulsa (2025).
78%match
Matches Ajay on
Total rush EPA (college ability)
Receiving share
Yards / carry
Differs from Ajay on
Yards / reception (lower)
Player DNA
Players who play like Aidan Laughery
Background
Pronunciation: LAW-fer-ree University of Illinois Graduate 2026 - Illinois Team Captain 2025 - Illinois Played in nine games with three starts at running back 75 carries for 382 yards and three touchdowns on the season Nine receptions for 54 yards on the season Team-high 77 rushing yards in the…
The backfield · Illinois
- #5Ca'Lil Valentine614 rushing yards · 2025
- #21Aidan Laughery382 rushing yards · 2025
- #23Jordan Anderson41 rushing yards · 2025
- #27Corey Rashadno box-score line yet
- #31Murphy Clementno box-score line yet
4 more on the roster · Illinois team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology