Is Michael Clayton II the Illini’s next great QB?

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With the injury to Katin Houser in Saturday’s win over Michigan State, it was expected that sophomore Carson Boyd would be the next QB1. However, freshman Michael Clayton II entered the game and led Illinois to victory in East Lansing.

Now, heading into a home matchup against Oregon, Clayton II takes over as Illinois’ new QB1. Clayton II, a three star recruit out of Orlando, Florida, certainly has the measurables of a great quarterback. Standing at 6-foot-4-inches and weighing 205 pounds, head coach Bret Bielema described Clayton II as a “bit of a gunslinger.”

Clayton chose Illinois over schools like Missouri, Nebraska, South Carolina and Colorado as well as 19 other offers. Included in those schools was Michigan State, whom Clayton beat. 

His first action came on Saturday after starting quarterback Katin Houser suffered a fractured hand. He came in and was efficient, going 6 of 8 for 88 yards and 2 touchdowns, beating one of the schools that wanted to sign him. 

He proved to have an instant connection with Illinois’ top two targets, despite Boyd getting most of the backup reps. Clayton connected with Collin Dixon for a 14-yard touchdown, and then connected with Hudson Clement for the go-ahead touchdown on the first play of overtime. 

Clayton looks to build on his stellar performance against Oregon after the bye week. With Houser likely to miss 4-6 weeks, the QB1 spot is Clayton’s to lose. Clearly, Bielema and offensive coordinator Barry Lunney Jr. trust the kid – and he proved them right on Saturday.

In a year full of ups and downs for the Illini, losing Houser seemed like it would be a big down. Can Clayton build off his success at Michigan State and turn an unfortunate injury into a positive result?

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