Illinois' Matthew Bailey Declared Out for Music City Bowl: What It Means

Add Matthew Bailey to the list of players Illinois football will be missing when it faces Tennessee on Dec. 30 in Nashville at the Music City Bowl. Starting outside linebacker Gabe Jacas and starting left tackle J.C. Davis recently announced their decisions not to play earlier in the week in order to focus on preparing for the 2026 NFL Draft.

#Illini Bret Bielema meeting with the media before the bowl game.

He confirmed J.C. Davis will opt out of the bowl game.

Matthew Bailey will also be out after having surgery. pic.twitter.com/ocrTu71wmT
— Tristan Thomas (@TristanThomasTV) December 13, 2025

Bailey hasn't announced whether he will return to Champaign for his senior year or go pro (which seems to be within his grasp), but because he required shoulder surgery after the Northwestern game, according to coach Bret Bielema, Bailey won't be available for Illinois' final game.

Illinois on SI initial reaction

The Illini were already considered an underdog against the Volunteers, but this sets them back even more. Losing not one but two defensive starters is really tough to overcome – but when those players are Jacas and Bailey (and with the team already facing the continued injury absence of cornerback Xavier Scott), a beleaguered defense now faces new adversity it didn't need.

Who will replace Matthew Bailey for the Illini?

With Bailey sidelined, expect to see a lot more of Saboor Karriem and Mac Resetich. Illinois defensive coordinator Aaron Henry mixes up his coverages, alignments and personnel, so both figure to see some time on the field. Resetich has played in all 12 games, but he is a superior defender against the run than the pass. Karriem is generally considered Bailey's backup and should be on the field for most passing down-and-distance situations.

Neither is going to fully replace Bailey, but at this point in the year, Bielema has no choice but to cobble together his healthiest, most experienced performers and see what happens. If there's a silver lining, the bowl game will be a decent audition of sorts for Karriem and Resetich – both juniors – in case Bailey doesn't return in 2026.

Bailey started all 12 games this year, leading the Illini with 76 tackles and finishing with four tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and two pass breakups. And it's not like Bailey was just a one-year wonder either.

Last year, Bailey set an Illinois bowl-game record with 13 tackles against South Carolina and finished the season with 94 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and seven pass breakups.

Bailey's absence is a huge blow to an Illinois defense that is already spinning out, undermanned and facing a high-caliber Tennessee offense.

The bigger news will be whether or not Bailey chooses to forego his senior year and enter the draft. I don't see that happening, but if it does, that should have Illini fans more concerned than not having Bailey available in the Music City Bowl.