Running back, Illinois, 2022–⁠26

Aidan Laughery

Lettered 2023–⁠25 (school media guide)

Number
No. 21
Height
5′11″
Weight
200 lb
Class (2026)
Senior
Hometown
Gibson City, IL

Aidan Laughery plays running back for Illinois. Last time out, at Michigan State: 17 carries, 70 yards; 4 catches, 24 yards, 1 TD. Laughery leads Illinois in rushing yards this season.

2026 so far

391 rushing yards, 1 TD

Last game: 17 carries, 70 yards; 4 catches, 24 yards, 1 TD at Michigan State, W 38–⁠37

Next game: vs. Oregon, Oct 24

Game by game this season, rushing yards
  1. 29UAB
  2. 37DUKE
  3. 93SIU
  4. 113@OSU
  5. 49PUR
  6. 70@MSU

Filled bars: wins; outlined: losses.

Career highs

172rushing yards, career highvs. Northwestern, 20243rushing touchdowns, career highvs. Northwestern, 2024

Rushing

Rushing yards, season by season, with his team’s record

* The season in progress, so far.

SeasonTeamCarYdsAvgTDLong
2022Illinois393.005
2023Illinois16815.1119
2024Illinois975896.1464
2025Illinois753825.1357
2026Illinois623916.3177
Career2531,4525.7977

Receiving

SeasonTeamRecYdsAvgTDLong
2023Illinois22412.0012
2024Illinois9323.6010
2025Illinois9546.0017
2026Illinois8445.5117
Career281545.5117

Returns

SeasonTeamKRYdsTD
2023Illinois71330
2026Illinois2320
Career91650

Season lines from CollegeFootballData, regular season and bowls.

On the roster

SeasonTeamNo.PosClassHtWt
2022Illinois21RBYr 1
2023Illinois21RBYr 2
2024Illinois21RBYr 3
2025Illinois21RBYr 4
2026Illinois21RBSr. (Yr 5)5′11″200

As each season’s roster listed the player (CollegeFootballData). Classes before the latest listing are counted back from it; “Yr 1” is the year on file where that count can’t place a season he played (a redshirt, transfer or 2020 year); height and weight as last listed.

Per play

SeasonTeamPlaysEPA/playPctileMedianTotalUsageAdj. rush
2022Illinois3-1.24––-3.7––
2023Illinois180.14––2.5––
2024Illinois1090.1548th (n=434)0.1616.714%0.23
2025Illinois850.0328th (n=576)0.102.214%0.11
2026Illinois750.2274th (n=478)0.1016.220%0.16

Expected points added: how much the player’s plays moved the team’s expected score, per play and in total. Plays: total EPA divided by EPA per play, the plays the source credits to him (for a receiver roughly his catches and runs, not every target; for a passer, not every attempt), so it can differ from attempts plus carries. Percentile: against the position’s regulars that season across all divisions on file (quarterbacks with 150+ plays, backs 60+, receivers and tight ends 30+), with how many there were (n) and their median; a dash means too few plays to rank. A season in progress uses the full-season bar scaled by games played, never below 75 plays for quarterbacks, 30 for backs and 20 for receivers. The cohort grows or shrinks with the source’s coverage each season (2025 lists far more players), so compare percentiles rather than raw EPA across years. FCS seasons are marked. Usage: the share of the team’s plays the player was part of (shown from 20 plays). Adjusted pass and rush: EPA per play adjusted for the defenses faced (CollegeFootballData’s WEPA). From CollegeFootballData, 2013 on.

Rushing detail

SeasonTeamSuccessLine yardsSecond levelOpen fieldStuffed
2025Illinois43%2.900.901.6019%
2026Illinois44%3.801.001.805%

Where his yards came from, per carry: line yards are the ones credited to the blockers (the first few, and losses), second level the yards 5 to 10 past the line, open field those beyond 10. Success: carries that kept the offense on schedule. Stuffed: carries stopped at or behind the line. From CollegeFootballData, FBS games, 2025 on.

Game by game

2026 Illinois 6 games, 391 rushing yards, 1 TD
DateOpponentResultCarYdsTDLongRecRec yds
Sep 3vs.UABW 42–⁠2382907117
Sep 12vs.DukeL 27–⁠3110370916
Sep 19vs.Southern IllinoisW 48–⁠10493177––
Sep 26atOhio StateL 19–⁠421111303711
Oct 3vs.PurdueL 17–⁠2412490131−4
Oct 10atMichigan StateW 38–⁠371770011424
2025 Illinois 9 games, 382 rushing yards, 3 TD
DateOpponentResultCarYdsTDLongRecRec yds
Aug 29vs.Western IllinoisW 52–⁠39101257222
Sep 6atDukeW 45–⁠196506––
Sep 27vs.USCW 34–⁠3272507––
Oct 11vs.Ohio StateL 16–⁠34850123412
Oct 25atWashingtonL 25–⁠429300716
Nov 1vs.RutgersW 35–⁠1394101913
Nov 22atWisconsinL 10–⁠2751605––
Nov 29vs.NorthwesternW 20–⁠1393709111
Dec 30 ✦vs.TennesseeW 30–⁠281377028––
2024 Illinois 12 games, 589 rushing yards, 4 TD
DateOpponentResultCarYdsTDLongRecRec yds
Aug 29vs.Eastern IllinoisW 45–⁠0107902927
Sep 7vs.KansasW 23–⁠1741005––
Sep 20atNebraskaW 31–⁠244300211−3
Sep 28atPenn StateL 7–⁠211000––
Oct 12vs.PurdueW 50–⁠4982601017
Oct 19vs.MichiganW 21–⁠7954029––
Oct 26atOregonL 9–⁠381269034––
Nov 2vs.MinnesotaL 17–⁠25519010214
Nov 16vs.Michigan StateW 38–⁠161037011––
Nov 23atRutgersW 38–⁠316261815
Nov 30vs.NorthwesternW 38–⁠2812172364––
Dec 31 ✦vs.South CarolinaW 21–⁠17166701122
2023 Illinois 8 games, 7 returns, 133 yards
DateOpponentResultCarYdsTDLongRecRec yds
Sep 2vs.ToledoW 30–⁠28––––––
Sep 8atKansasL 23–⁠34––––––
Sep 16vs.Penn StateL 13–⁠30––––112
Sep 23vs.Florida AtlanticW 23–⁠17323119––
Sep 30atPurdueL 19–⁠44––––––
Oct 14atMarylandW 27–⁠2471806112
Oct 21vs.WisconsinL 21–⁠25318015––
Nov 25vs.NorthwesternL 43–⁠45322017––
2022 Illinois 1 game, 9 rushing yards
DateOpponentResultCarYdsTDLongRecRec yds
Sep 22vs.ChattanoogaW 31–⁠03905––

Box scores from CollegeFootballData, 2004 on. ✦ postseason; ★ a career high on file.

Is this you, or do you know of something wrong or missing here? Suggest a correction. We check each one against a source before changing the page.