Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 42-23vs UAB | 5 | 1 | 0.5 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 5 tackles |
| Wk 2 | L 27-31vs Duke | 5 | 2 | 1.5 | 1.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 10 | 3 | 2.0 | 1.0 | — | 0 |
#24
William Holmes
Junior linebacker for Illinois. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
6′4″ · 255 lb · Detroit, MI
CFB Index 49 · #302 of 583 LBsHigh confidenceTransferred Utah State → Illinois for 2026
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
10
tackles · 2026
2 TFL · 1 sacks
2 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 5 tackles, 1.5 TFL, 1 sacks, vs Duke
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
3 linebacker for Illinois. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
- Signed with Utah State in 2024.
- Transferred from Utah State to Illinois in 2026.
William Holmes
Fills the run lane and blitzes off the edge. Three head coaches in three seasons, at two different programs. The receipt: 5 tackles, 1.5 TFL against Duke — Week 2, 2026.
10 TACKLES · 1 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- game log
His career
20243 games
- Signed with Utah Stateout of Western International
2026
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
Career arc
HS
Recruit
—
CFB
College
2 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2024–2026
1 coach2024–2026
Illinois
Played his entire career under Bret Bielema.
Where He Ended Up · Transfer
Transferred to Illinois
2025Utah State
2026Illinois
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2024Utah State4-8HC: Nate Dreiling · Balanced
2025Utah State6-7HC: Bronco Mendenhall · Balanced
2026Illinois1-1HC: Bret Bielema · Balanced, slow tempo
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
High confidence
Elite: qb hurries (99th percentile). Strength: sacks (87th percentile). Concern: solo tackles (7th percentile).
Box-score production (6)
Percentiles are versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score production. There are no play-by-play efficiency bars here: CFBD's play-value model credits offensive players only, so no defensive EPA exists to rank.
Splits & context
Splits
Per-game splits
Through 2 games: 5.0 TKL/g, 1.0 TFL/g, 0.5 SACK/g, 0.0 PD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Bret Bielema
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2025
Rotational
Tackle volume for the position in rotation-piece range.
Recognition
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Production · CFB Index Score
49 · #302 of 583 LBs
Unranked recruit. Now #302 at the position.
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Illinois | 10 | 3 | 2.0 | 1.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2025 | Utah State | 45 | 22 | 6.5 | 2.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2024 | Utah State | 6 | 2 | 1.5 | 1.5 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 61 | 27 | 10.0 | 4.5 | -- | -- | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 1 · 2026
W 42–23
vs UAB
5 TOT · 1 SOLO · 0 TFL
With K. Houser — 182 yds · 3 TD · 0 INT · QBR 98.9 · 29 rush yds (3 car) · 1 TD · C. Valentine — 88 rush yds (11 car) · 1 TD
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Downhill striker who fills the run lane and blitzes off the edge.
CFB Index positional classification
DNA match
Player DNA
Thumper
Downhill striker who fills the run lane and blitzes off the edge.
LB
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Derrick McLendon II’s 2022 season.
74%match
Matches Derrick on
Weight
Tackle volume
Solo tackle rate
Differs from Derrick on
Class year (lower)
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a sophomore, his production profile tracks closest to Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa's sophomore season at Notre Dame (2025).
Matches Kyngstonn on
Solo tackle rate
Sack rate
Weight
Differs from Kyngstonn on
PD rate (lower)
The linebacker corps · Illinois
- #45Robert Edmonson47 tackles · 2025
- #24William Holmes45 tackles · 2025
- #10James Kreutz30 tackles · 2025
- #4Daniel Brown11 tackles · 2025
- #26Ismael Kante8 tackles · 2025
10 more on the roster · Illinois team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology