Illinois Fighting Illini#7 · DB Matthew Bailey
93 Overall rating steady- Height
- 6-2
- Weight
- 225 lb
- Class
- Senior
- Hometown
- Moline, IL
Matthew Bailey is a DB (#7) for Illinois, from Moline, IL. In the 2026 season he has 37 tackles and 1 interception over 5 games. Season-by-season stats and the game log are below.
Skill profile
Production
Tackles 20
Sacks 3
Interceptions 13
Passes defensed 17
Forced fumbles 3
Splash plays 11
Efficiency
Tackles per game 20
Sack rate 3
Coverage 17
Ball-hawking 13
Run defense 20
Havoc rate 15
Measurables
Height 10
Weight 11
Frame 11
Experience 17
How we rate The BIG10.CO skill model methodology & sources
Every rating is produced by our own model. Not a vendor score. Each skill is graded 0-20 by where a player ranks against others at his position, and the Overall is a position-normalized rating where an elite player tops out near 96 (a rare 97 plus is reserved for all-time greats) so a cornerback and a receiver read on the same scale. Ratings are built through week 6 of the 2026 season and refreshed every week through the season, so the ▲/▼ beside the Overall is the genuine move since last week.
- Data. Real box-score production from CollegeFootballData, drawn from official game stats.
- Method. Each stat is turned into a within-position percentile, then blended across a player's recent seasons, weighted by games played so recent, full seasons lead and an injury year does not sink the score.
- People. Compiled by The BIG10.CO Desk and checked by Coverage Review against the official book.
- Updates. Recomputed on Mondays once the week's games are final. Corrections are logged in our editorial & corrections policy.
2026 season
37
Tackles
0.0
Sacks
1
Interceptions
1
Tackles for loss
1
Passes defended
0
Forced fumbles
Matthew Bailey career stats by year
| Season | Tm | G | Tackles | Sacks | INT | PD | FF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | ILL | 5 | 37 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2025 | ILL | 12 | 76 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 2024 | ILL | 13 | 94 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 |
| 2023 | ILL | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | ILL | 7 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| Career | 38 | 217 | 0 | 5 | 11 | 0 |
Season totals, 2022 to 2026. Source: CollegeFootballData.
Schedule and results
Status
Result
Season
24
10
31
23
28
13
32
0
3
17
25
7
9
17
0No games match these filters.
Box score log
| Date | Opp | Result | TKL | SACK |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 3 | vs Purdue | L 17-24 | 9 | 0 |
| Sep 26 | at Ohio State | L 19-42 | 14 | 0 |
| Sep 19 | vs Southern Illinois | W 48-10 | 2 | 0 |
| Sep 12 | vs Duke | L 27-31 | 4 | 0 |
| Sep 3 | vs UAB | W 42-23 | 8 | 0 |
Career timeline
- NowIllinois DB: #7
- ClassSenior
- HometownMoline, IL
Matthew Bailey: Illinois DB profile and stats
Matthew Bailey is a DB (#7) for Illinois, from Moline, IL. This profile tracks Matthew Bailey's season stats, skill ratings and game log through the 2026 season, and links straight into the Illinois roster, the Big Ten players hub and the conference schedule. To see where Illinois sits in the race, check the live Big Ten standings.
Matthew Bailey in the news
All newsRecapIllinois beat Southern Illinois 48-10 (Week 3, 2026)Illinois beat Southern Illinois 48-10 at Memorial Stadium (Champaign, IL). Now Illinois is 2-1, and Southern Illinois is 2-2.2026-09-19RecapDuke beat Illinois 31-27 (Week 2, 2026)Duke beat Illinois 31-27 at Memorial Stadium (Champaign, IL). Now Duke is 2-0, and Illinois is 1-1.2026-09-12RecapIllinois beat UAB 42-23 (Week 1, 2026)Illinois beat UAB 42-23 at Memorial Stadium (Champaign, IL). Now Illinois is 1-0, and UAB is 0-1.2026-09-03
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Frequently asked questions
What team does Matthew Bailey play for?
Matthew Bailey plays for Illinois, wearing #7 at DB.
What position does Matthew Bailey play?
Matthew Bailey is a DB for Illinois.
How tall is Matthew Bailey?
Matthew Bailey is 6-2 and weighs 225 lb.
What year is Matthew Bailey in?
Matthew Bailey is listed as a senior on the Illinois roster.
Where is Matthew Bailey from?
Matthew Bailey is from Moline, IL.
How many tackles does Matthew Bailey have?
Matthew Bailey has 37 tackles in the 2026 season. Full numbers are in the stats above.