The No. 9 Illinois Fighting Illini head into their Week 3 showdown with winless Western Michigan with optimism but caution. Especially from coach Bret Bielema, who knows trap games don’t come with warnings. But Bielema isn’t taking the Broncos lightly despite a hefty 27.5-point spread in his team’s favor. He knows Western Michigan will throw everything at them. In terms of injuries, Bielema gave a somewhat positive but realistic update. The Illini have dodged many major injury bullets, with most key players expected to be available.

A few players, like Jaheim Clarke, have an outside chance for Saturday but should be back the following week. On the downside, some promising younger players like JJ Hirdes and Grant Smith face season-long absences due to injuries. Bret Bielema also addressed players who started the last game but couldn’t finish it because of health issues during Thursday’s press conference. He was quick to clarify that guys like Aidan Laughery and Dylan Rosiek, who had to exit the field early last time, aren’t sidelined long-term. “Aiden Laughery, who’s out there today,” Bielema said on Thursday’s presser.

“I think it’s going to be a game-time decision for him, but he’s done really, really well. Had a big day yesterday, big jump. So, I think today [is] another jump in the right direction. We’ll see where we’re at [on] Saturday.” In the demolition of FCS Western Illinois, legit lit up the field. He averaged over 11 yards per carry and crossed the goal line twice with explosive runs of 25 and 57 yards. The kind of big-play ability that gets a crowd rocking and defenses scrambling. After a solid 2024 where he put up 589 yards and four touchdowns on just 97 carries, it felt like 2025 was going to be his breakout year.

After stepping into a larger role following a season-ending injury to Kaden Feagin, Laughery proved he could handle the workload and even sharpened his abilities to become Illinois’ top running back option. He ranked fourth among Big Ten running backs with at least 90 carries. But with football, nothing’s guaranteed. Especially when injuries pop up. The latest whispers around Champaign are that Laughery is dealing with a stint on the sidelines. And the details of it are not that clear. Next up, Bielema talks about another starter who couldn’t complete the game. “Rosie [Dylan Rosiek] actually practiced today, [a] little bit yesterday,” Bret Bielema said.

“I think he’ll be able to go. What we’re planning right now is [to] see where he’s at on Saturday, and then obviously it’s supposed to be another hot one, so we’ll see exactly where he’s at on Saturday.” During the 2024 campaign, Rosiek was a bright spot in Illinois’ defense before a significant injury cut his season short. It was a foot injury that did the job. He thought it was just a busted cleat and figured he’d be right back out there helping his teammates. But reality was different. “That was the first time I’ve ever had a season-ending injury or something I needed to get surgery on,” said Rosiek. “It was some trying times.” Before getting hurt last season, Rosiek was averaging seven tackles a game and rocking the captain role.

The national media didn’t hold it against him either—he still snagged preseason All-Big Ten honors from Athlon and Phil Steele. During 2025 fall camp, Rosiek said he’s feeling good on that left foot and the soreness hasn’t come back. Against Western Illinois, Dylan Rosiek only got 19 snaps. And even though he was solid with an 86.7 PFF grade, he could easily give up snaps to a stacked group of athletic freaks. And now with Bielema being confident in him to be able to go, it’s just a matter of time before he stacks up more snaps.

Daniel Brown’s road to recovery

The injury woes don’t really end there. It takes a hit in one of the linebackers’ positions. Bret Bielema had some tough news on that front as well, reporting that Daniel Brown is going to be out for a little longer this season. “Daniel Brown, unfortunately, got an injury in the second half,” Bielema said. “Had a small procedure on Tuesday. We’ll miss him this week, next week. Good chance he might be back three weeks from now, but he won’t be out there this week for sure.”

Brown, who was a standout on the outside linebacker spot, was a force to be reckoned with. His presence in that 2023 Citrus Bowl victory was a testament to his grit and ability to impact games at crucial moments. Brown’s role on the defense, bringing pressure off the edge and setting the tone, means missing him stings. But Illinois has shown some promising depth that can step up.

With Jojo Hayden out there, the Illini can throw more size, speed, and explosiveness into those third-down situations. Against Western Illinois, he recorded two solo tackles and added one assist, showing solid pursuit and presence. His presence helped the Illini defense consistently limit Western Illinois’ rushing game to a mere 29 yards on 26 attempts.