CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (Chambana Today) — Illinois football had quite possibly its longest offseason in a long time. After a 10-3 finish last year, which was capped off with a Cheez-It Citrus Bowl victory, the Illini will hit the turf this fall ranked 12th in the nation.
At the center — or perhaps the back — of that squad this year is junior running back Aidan Laughery.
Laughery is a graduate of Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley High School, which is about a 45-minute drive away from Memorial Stadium. He was a three-star recruit in high school, courting offers from Washington State, Rutgers, Iowa, Michigan State, Minnesota, and, of course, Illinois.
In high school, Laughery was not highly recruited. The likes of Alabama, Ohio State, and Georgia did not have him high on their lists, if at all. That’s a reality for several Central Illinois football recruits every year.
Since arriving as head coach ahead of the 2021 season, Illinois head coach Bret Bielema has placed a strong emphasis on in-state recruiting. Players like Laughery from Gibson City, Matthew Bailey from Moline, and James Kreutz from Wilmette were part of a 2022 recruiting class that featured 11 Illinois high school seniors.
Laughery says that he carries a strong sense of pride being from Gibson City and playing for the Illini.
“Being in the area still and being around my community, when I go home and see people in the community coming up and talking to me, it’s special,” Laughery told Chambana Today. “I’m so thankful for such a supportive community. Family, friends, everybody. It’s definitely special and it’s a rewarding feeling to be able to give back to the community that’s poured into you so much.”
Having played for now-retired head coach Mike Allen, Laughery was a part of the GCMS team that lifted the IHSA 2A state title in 2017. He credits Allen for a lot of his early development as a football player.
“Coach Allen had a tremendous positive impact on me,” Laughery said. “From my freshman year when I was coming in, just empowering me to feel like I was really part of the team. Getting [me] a role as a young guy, as a freshman on those teams.”
The transition from playing for Allen to Bielema has seen Laughery go up against tougher competition, inciting a change in him, too. While he’s put on more pounds and worked on his body, Laughery says he’s seen the most change internally.
“Physically I’ve changed, but I would say the most is mental, you know?” Laughery said, detailing that since arriving in Champaign, his approach to the game has changed. “You go through so much playing Division I football at this level. . . There’s going to be failure, there’s going to be success, but everything’s a learning experience.”
This season, Laughery will have a new face on the sidelines to rely on. Regardless of whether Laughery is a Bears fan or not, he would have undoubtedly had eyes on the New England Patriots’ Super Bowl 51 victory in 2017. It was in that game that running back James White captured the attention of the football world. It was his efforts that helped the Tom Brad-backed Patriots come back from down 28-3. White rushed for 29 yards and two touchdowns, and also caught for a team-high 110 yards and one touchdown.
White was named the assistant running backs coach earlier this year, and was a star on day one.
“It was super cool, especially initially when Coach White came in,” Laughery said, recalling the first time he saw the former Super Bowl champ in the facility. “He was in there, I think, one winter workout and a couple guys were like, ‘Is that James White? Is that James White?'”
Laughery says that when he first saw White, he didn’t even know the former running back with seven years of NFL experience could be a regular in the Henry Dale and Betty Smith Football Performance Center, where the Illini train.
“When he got hired, we were all obviously super excited,” Laughery said. “He just brings a level of experience from the NFL level, college level, all of the success he’s had, that’s very valuable. And [he’s a] great coach. He pours a lot into us, so super excited to get a fall camp with him.”
With Gibson City behind him and a Super Bowl-winning running back beside him, Laughery will look to make the 2025 season his breakout year. His rise to becoming one of the team’s top backs has been in a few years in the making.
He started the 2024 season as the third running back on the depth chart behind Kaden Feagin and Josh McCray. When Feagin suffered an injury five games into the year, Laughery seized his opportunity. With more reps, he finished the year rushing for 589 yards and scoring four touchdowns on the ground.
Since the end of last season, Feagin has returned from injury and McCray has transferred to play for Georgia. Laughery, who redshirted his first year in college, enters his fourth year on campus as not just one of the squad’s top running backs, but also as one of its veterans.
Laughery will look to hit the ground running later this month when Illinois kicks off its 2025 season. The season opener will see Illinois welcome the Western Illinois Leathernecks to Memorial Stadium. Kickoff will be at 6:30 p.m., and the game will be broadcast on Peacock.
