Running back, Illinois, 2024–⁠26

Ca’Lil Valentine

Number
No. 5
Height
5′11″
Weight
200 lb
Class (2026)
Junior
Hometown
Hayward, CA

Ca’Lil Valentine plays running back for Illinois.

2026 so far

225 rushing yards, 1 TD

Last game: vs. Purdue, L 17–⁠24

Next game: vs. Oregon, Oct 24

Game by game this season, rushing yards
  1. 88UAB
  2. 56DUKE
  3. 33SIU
  4. 47@OSU
  5. 1PUR

Filled bars: wins; outlined: losses.

Career highs

95rushing yards, career highat Purdue, 2025

Rushing

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

* The season in progress, so far.

SeasonTeamCarYdsAvgTDLong
2024Illinois532124.0122
2025Illinois1316144.7425
2026Illinois502254.5151
Career2341,0514.5651

Returns

SeasonTeamKRYdsTD
2025Illinois91860
2026Illinois1310
Career102170

Receiving

SeasonTeamRecYdsAvgTDLong
2024Illinois5306.0015
2025Illinois10555.5018
2026Illinois34615.3033
Career181317.3033

Season lines from CollegeFootballData, regular season and bowls.

On the roster

SeasonTeamNo.PosClassHtWt
2024Illinois5RBFr.
2025Illinois5RBSo.
2026Illinois5RBJr.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
2024Illinois61-0.171st (n=434)0.16-10.68%0.04
2025Illinois1490.0226th (n=576)0.102.817%0.04
2026Illinois530.1050th (n=478)0.105.417%0.19

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
2025Illinois47%3.201.300.6023%
2026Illinois47%3.101.001.0014%

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 5 games, 225 rushing yards, 1 TD
DateOpponentResultCarYdsTDLongRecRec yds
Sep 3vs.UABW 42–⁠23118815114
Sep 12vs.DukeL 27–⁠3118560919
Sep 19vs.Southern IllinoisW 48–⁠1093308––
Sep 26atOhio StateL 19–⁠421047012133
Oct 3vs.PurdueL 17–⁠242101––
2025 Illinois 13 games, 614 rushing yards, 4 TD
DateOpponentResultCarYdsTDLongRecRec yds
Aug 29vs.Western IllinoisW 52–⁠3951017––
Sep 6atDukeW 45–⁠19644123214
Sep 13vs.Western MichiganW 38–⁠01063112––
Sep 20atIndianaL 10–⁠63611061−4
Sep 27vs.USCW 34–⁠3285901215
Oct 4atPurdueW 43–⁠272295125––
Oct 11vs.Ohio StateL 16–⁠343607––
Oct 25atWashingtonL 25–⁠427270922
Nov 1vs.RutgersW 35–⁠131237012––
Nov 15vs.MarylandW 24–⁠62064011––
Nov 22atWisconsinL 10–⁠2761809110
Nov 29vs.NorthwesternW 20–⁠131474120––
Dec 30 ✦vs.TennesseeW 30–⁠28865016328
2024 Illinois 12 games, 212 rushing yards, 1 TD
DateOpponentResultCarYdsTDLongRecRec yds
Aug 29vs.Eastern IllinoisW 45–⁠0418016––
Sep 7vs.KansasW 23–⁠17825010––
Sep 14vs.Central MichiganW 30–⁠955302216
Sep 20atNebraskaW 31–⁠2431005––
Sep 28atPenn StateL 7–⁠21––––11
Oct 12vs.PurdueW 50–⁠493303115
Oct 26atOregonL 9–⁠3852711416
Nov 2vs.MinnesotaL 17–⁠2551204––
Nov 16vs.Michigan StateW 38–⁠166210612
Nov 23atRutgersW 38–⁠3162409––
Nov 30vs.NorthwesternW 38–⁠28716015––
Dec 31 ✦vs.South CarolinaW 21–⁠171303––

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

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