Illinois is 5-3.
27 stories in the last 30 days, from 13 outlets.
Illinois Football 2026 Scouting Report: Quarterback Michael Clayton II
Sports Illustrated +1 Oct 20
One game to point at: 84 passing yards and 2 passing TD against Oregon — Week 8, 2026.
172 passing yards · 4 passing TD · 0 rushing yards
from 13 outlets
Illinois Football 2026 Scouting Report: Quarterback Michael Clayton II
Sports Illustrated +1 Oct 20 · 2 outlets
The Champaign Room +1What’s next for Illinois football with Michael Clayton under center?Oct 12
On3Illinois Football: QB Michael Clayton II prepares for first start against OregonOct 19
247SportsIllini freshman QB Michael Clayton II set for first career start: 'It's all about preparation'Oct 20
The Daily IlliniMichael Clayton’s unexpected rise to starting QBOct 21
Yahoo SportsEarly odds make a Michael Clayton-led Illinois team a long shot to beat OregonOct 19
Field Level MediaFreshman Michael Clayton II, Illinois defeat OregonOct 24Yahoo SportsFreshman QB Michael Clayton II helps Illinois upset Oregon 21-10 in his ‘unreal’ 1st career startOct 24Yahoo SportsMichael Clayton Credits "Mentality Switch" for Illinois' Comeback Win Over OregonOct 25On3Illinois football mailbag: Michael Clayton II, bowl hopes, roster concerns, & moreOct 14247SportsWerner Mailbag: What do Illini need in next DC?; Expectations for Michael Clayton Which freshmen play for MBBOct 16
FOX SportsMichael Clayton II Finds Hudson Clement for 25-Yard WALK-OFF TD to Lift Illinois Past Michigan State in OTOct 10FOX SportsMichael Clayton II finds Christian Abney for 9-yard TD giving Illinois lead over OregonOct 24FOX SportsMichael Clayton II connects with Collin Dixon for 23-yard TD further extending Illinois' lead over OregonOct 24from 13 outlets
Illinois HC Bret Bielema Gets Honest About Michael Clayton II's Play
Roundtable +1 Oct 31 · 2 outlets
The Champaign Room +1What’s next for Illinois football with Michael Clayton under center?Oct 12247SportsFreshman QB Michael Clayton battling for Illini backup job: 'He can make all the throws'Aug 19On3Illinois Football: QB Michael Clayton II prepares for first start against OregonOct 19247SportsIllini freshman QB Michael Clayton II set for first career start: 'It's all about preparation'Oct 20Yahoo SportsEarly odds make a Michael Clayton-led Illinois team a long shot to beat OregonOct 19Field Level MediaFreshman Michael Clayton II, Illinois defeat OregonOct 24Yahoo SportsFreshman QB Michael Clayton II helps Illinois upset Oregon 21-10 in his ‘unreal’ 1st career startOct 24Yahoo SportsMichael Clayton Credits "Mentality Switch" for Illinois' Comeback Win Over OregonOct 25On3Meet the Illini freshmen: QB Michael Clayton IIAug 13On3Illinois football mailbag: Michael Clayton II, bowl hopes, roster concerns, & moreOct 14247SportsWerner Mailbag: What do Illini need in next DC?; Expectations for Michael Clayton Which freshmen play for MBBOct 16FOX SportsMichael Clayton II Finds Hudson Clement for 25-Yard WALK-OFF TD to Lift Illinois Past Michigan State in OTOct 10FOX SportsMichael Clayton II finds Christian Abney for 9-yard TD giving Illinois lead over OregonOct 24FOX SportsMichael Clayton II connects with Collin Dixon for 23-yard TD further extending Illinois' lead over OregonOct 24Roundtable +1
University of Illinois AthleticsSports Illustrated +1The Champaign Room +1247SportsEach week: his team’s game, the stories about him that week, and the week’s biggest news headline.
Stories are headlines grouped by what they are about, counted through Nov 4.
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
| Season | Team | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Illinois | 17 | 26 | 65.4% | 172 | 6.6 | 4 | 0 | 171.7 |
| Career | 17 | 26 | 65.4% | 172 | 6.6 | 4 | 0 | 171.7 |
| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Illinois | 6 | −13 | −2.2 | 0 | 7 |
| Career | 6 | −13 | −2.2 | 0 | 7 |
Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
| Wk | Opp | Grade | CMP/ATT | YDS | TD | INT | YPA | QBR | SK | RUSH | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 6 | W 38-37@ Michigan State | Came on in Q3 | 6/8 | 88 | 2 | 0 | 11.0 | 34.3 | 0 | 0 | Season-high 88 yds |
| Wk 8 | W 21-10vs Oregon | Shaky | 11/18 | 84 | 2 | 0 | 4.7 | 38.0 | 2 | -13 | |
| Total | 17/26 | 172 | 4 | 0 | 6.6 | — | 2 | -13 |
Oct. 24 · W 21-10 vs Oregon, play by play
11 of 18 for 84 yards and 2 touchdowns. He was 4 of 11 on third and fourth down.
2-yard run on 3rd and 1. First quarter, down 7-0. Converted.
0-yard completion to Jordan Anderson on 3rd and 7. First quarter, down 7-0.
Incomplete to Collin Dixon on 3rd and 10. First quarter, down 7-0.
23-yard touchdown pass to Collin Dixon on 3rd and 7. Fourth quarter, made it 21-10.
6 of 8 for 88 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Not drawn: the play-by-play doesn’t add up to the box score.
Week 8 · 2026
W 21-10
vs Oregon
84 yds · 2 TD · 0 INT · QBR 38.0
With L. Rau — 44.5 yards per punt · 8 punts · 3 inside the 20 · A. Laughery — 123 rush yds (13 car) · 1 TD
The plays that mattered most
| Stat | His | Nation | Big Ten |
|---|---|---|---|
| Passing yards | 172 | T-210th of 370 | 28th of 50 |
| Yards an attempt | 6.6 | Not ranked | Not ranked |
| Touchdown passes | 4 | T-134th of 370 | T-21st of 50 |
| Passer rating | 171.7 | Not ranked | Not ranked |
| Completion percentage | 65.4 | Not ranked | Not ranked |
| Rushing yards | -13 | T-341st of 370 | 43rd of 50 |
| Rushing touchdowns | 0 | — | — |
Counting stats rank all FBS quarterbacks with a pass attempt; the rates rank those with at least 10 attempts a game. He has 26 attempts of the 80 needed after 8 games, so the rates are not ranked.
Sorted by passing yards. Gray: under 10 attempts a game, so not ranked on yards an attempt.
Dixon and Clement saw 14 of the 25 charted throws.
| Receiver | Targets, caught | Targets | Catches | Yards | Throw depth | After catch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Collin Dixon | 10 | 7 | 79 | 9.7 | 3.7 | |
| Hudson Clement | 4 | 2 | 49 | 9.5 | 15.5 | |
| Brayden Trimble | 4 | 2 | 11 | 9.0 | 0.0 | |
| Christian Abney | 3 | 2 | 13 | 2.7 | 4.0 | |
| Kaden Feagin | 2 | 1 | 1 | -3.5 | 4.0 | |
| 2 others | 2 | 2 | 5 | 0.0 | 2.5 |
Play by play: 25 passes, 16 caught, 158 yards; the box score counts 26 attempts. Throw depth: average air yards per target. After catch: average yards after the catch per catch. Bar: targets; the blue part was caught.
Splits
Per-game splits
Through 2 games: 86.0 YDS/g, 2.0 TD/g, 7.8 YPA, 0.0 INT/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Bret Bielema
Pass share
49.5%
243 pass / 248 run
Plays / game
61.4
8 games
Scheme: Balanced, slow tempo.
| Michael Clayton II | Threw in 2 of 8 games · 17 of 26, 172 yds, 4 TD, 0 INT · 6.6 yards an attempt on 26 attempts · ran for -13 yds, 0 TD |
| Katin Houser | Threw in 7 of 8 games · 140 of 216, 1,663 yds, 13 TD, 5 INT · 7.7 yards an attempt on 216 attempts · ran for 138 yds, 2 TD |
| Carson Boyd | Threw in 1 of 8 games · 1 of 1, 5 yds, 0 TD, 0 INT · 5.0 yards an attempt on 1 attempt · ran for 36 yds, 0 TD |
Box score. Every quarterback on the team who has thrown a pass this season.
Who threw in each quarter. Blue: Michael Clayton II. Gray: Katin Houser, Carson Boyd. From the play by play.
Player standing · 2026
Fewer passes and runs a game than most FBS quarterbacks who play every week.
The No. 1,358 recruit in the country is starting at quarterback in the Big Ten as a freshman.
