Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 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 | Season-high 37 yds |
| Total | 18 | 66 | 3.7 | 0 | 9 |
#21
Aidan Laughery
Senior running back for Illinois. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
5′11″ · 200 lb · Gibson City, IL · GCMS
CFB Index 42 · #195 of 326 RBsHigh confidenceReturning to 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
66
rushing yards · 2026
3.7 per carry · 2 catches
2 games into 2026 so far -- Backed by 12 car · 172 yds · 3 TD -- top 1% rushing yards game. -- Best game: 37 rush yds, 6 rec yds, vs Duke
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
4 running back for Illinois. 2026: 2 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 40.6 points in belief.
40.6own 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: 37 rush yds, 6 rec yds against Duke — Week 2, 2026.
66 RUSH YDS · 0 RUSH TD · 18 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.
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
5 seasons under Bret Bielema — 33-20 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
2026Illinois1-1HC: Bret Bielema · Balanced, slow tempo
Where this profile ranks vs the RB cohort
Box-score percentiles
High confidence
Concern: rush yards (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 splits
Through 2 games: 33.0 YDS/g, 3.7 YPC, 0.0 TD/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 · 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.
Career stats
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 1 · 2026
W 42–23
vs UAB
29 rush yds (8 car)
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
Signature plays
Signature plays · top plays by |EPA|
The plays that mattered most
- 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 2 · Duke · 2&10 · Q1 · EPA -0.48(04:25) Shotgun #21 A.Laughery rush middle for 2 yards gain to the DUKE32 (#35 A.Pellicciotta)
- Week 2 · Duke · 1&10 · Q2 · EPA -0.43(05:59) Shotgun #21 A.Laughery rush middle for 3 yards gain to the ILL42 (#55 J.Columbus)
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Plays within the scheme — consistent production without a dominant dimension.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Illinois
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Running back · Illinois
Returning around him
- 21% of 2024 offensive production back (Heavy turnover)
- 3 Illinois players drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: -7 net (20 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 #51 · 2026 recruiting class #24
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 M...
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