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Illinois on SI is delivering scouting reports for each of the key players on the Illini football team's 2025 roster. Below, we present our breakdown of Illini junior running back Aidan Laughery. We will add more as other on-field contributors emerge during the season. Find our scouting reports of other Illinois players by searching in your favorite browser or clicking in our projected depth chart.
Aidan Laughery | Running back | Junior | No. 21
Hometown: Gibson City, IllinoisHigh school: Gibson City-Melvin-SibleyHeight: 5-foot-11Weight: 200 pounds
Scouting report
An elusive yet physical back, Laughery possesses a solid combination of speed, agility and strength. His game is greater than the sum of its parts. He has less than blazing straight-line speed and less than explosive lateral movement, but he's plenty fast and shifty. He's not quite a power back yet still strong as an ox. Combine it all with next-level vision and patience, and you have a top-notch back in Laughery.
Among Big Ten running backs who finished with at least 90 carries in 2025, Laughery’s 6.1-yard rushing average ranked fourth in the conference. He seems to have an innate feel for when to cut back, bounce it outside or just turn on the jets. Laughery hasn't shown much as a receiver (at least not yet) and is only a so-so blocker in pass protection.
Experience
Laughery arrived in Champaign as a freshman in 2022, appearing in just one game before taking a redshirt year. In 2023, he played in nine games, earning 16 carries and scoring his first career touchdown.
Following a season-ending injury to Kaden Feagin in 2024, Laughery was thrust into a larger role alongside Josh McCray, quickly making his mark and earning more snaps and carries with each passing game. He finished second on the team in rushing yards (his 589 were just behind McCray’s 609) and first in yards per carry by a wide margin.
Media highlights
What they're saying
“I want to get better at pass protection. [That] would be [at] the front of that list, and excited to work at that every day,” said Laughery when asked about the area of his game he hopes to improve in 2025.
2025 outlook
Laughery has made a compelling case to become Illinois’ top running back option with his performance in 2024, especially given his efficiency as a runner. With the return of Feagin, a power back, Laughery likely will share something close to an even 50-50 split of snaps and carries as part of a thunder-and-lightning type backfield.
Sophomore Ca’Lil Valentine seems to be in line for an uptick in opportunities, too. A three-headed-monster run game served the Illini well last season, so there’s no reason to believe offensive coordinator Barry Lunney Jr. won’t continue taking advantage of the full scope of his available running back talent.
More from Illinois on Sports Illustrated:
Illinois Football 2025 Scouting Report: Wide Receiver Hank Beatty
Illinois Football 2025 Scouting Report: Tight End Tanner Arkin
Illinois Football 2025 Scouting Report: Tight End Davin Stoffel
Illinois Football 2025 Scouting Report: Tight End Cole Rusk
Illinois Football 2025 Scouting Report: Outside Linebacker Gabe Jacas
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