Is Matthew Bailey starting?
Matthew Bailey is the projected starter at SS for Illinois Fighting Illini.
See full Illinois Fighting Illini depth chart ›The Story
Elite-Tier Talent
A 3-star recruit out of Moline, ranked #1,774 nationally coming out of high school. In 2025: 76 tackles, 0 INT, 2 PBU. That's 8% of the team's production at his spot and 87th-percentile production nationally — good for a 90 overall (Elite tier).
- Jersey
- #7
- Class
- RS SR
- Height
- 6'2"
- Weight
- 215 lbs
Career Stats
| Season | Tkl | INT | PD |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 76 | 0 | 2 |
| 2024 | 94 | 1 | 5 |
| 2023 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
Regular-season totals from public sources. Derived splits (completion %, yards per carry, catch rate) aren't available in our current dataset.
Recruiting Profile
- Stars
- ★★★☆☆3-star
- Composite
- 0.8304
- National Rank
- #1774
- High School
- Moline
- Hometown
- Moline, IL
Why this rating?
On a 83-rated defense; 87th-percentile production (×0.95 for competition level) put them +7 vs unit starters → 90.
2026 projection — based on SP+ (a respected team-efficiency metric; 2026 not published yet, using 2025), 2025 production, recruiting, and the 2026 transfer portal; capped to depth-chart order.
The People's Ratings
Team Role
Depth at SS · Illinois Fighting Illini
- 1790Matthew BaileyStarter
- 21376Xanai Scott
- 31962Jacob Eberhart
Overall ratings blend team strength (SP+), on-field production, and recruiting. Higher = more impactful.