Malachi Hood
Malachi Hood
Ranges from hash to hash and makes his own tackles. Second year in the Illinois linebacker corps, same address the whole way. The receipt: 6 tackles, 0.5 TFL against Northwestern — Week 14, 2025.
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- positional archetype classification
- seasons on the roster
- game log
Career Arc
2025 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
Splits & context
Supporting Cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Bret Bielema
Awards
Player Standing · 17 rungs
Tier 1 · 2-deepR04 · Rotational
Rotational. Tackle volume for the position in rotation-piece range.
Career stats
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 5 · 2025
W 34–32
vs USC
1 TOT · 1 SOLO
Edged out USC at home in a shootout.
How he plays
Play style
Ranges from hash to hash and makes his own tackles.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Illinois
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Linebacker · Illinois
Returning around him
- 3 Illinois players drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: -8 net (19 in / 27 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Illinois · Last season: 9-4 (AP #23) · Talent rank #64 · 2026 recruiting class #24
DNA match
Player DNA
Sideline-to-Sideline
Ranges from hash to hash and makes his own tackles.
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Cody Moon’s 2021 season.
Matches Cody on
Differs from Cody on
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a sophomore, his production profile tracks closest to Lavain Scruggs's sophomore season at Maryland (2024).
Matches Lavain on