2025 Football Roster
Jersey Number 51
Clayton Leonard
- Position:
- OLB
- Class:
- Junior
- Height:
- 6-4
- Weight:
- 250
- Major:
- Kinesiology
- Hometown:
- Danforth, Ill.
- High School:
- Iroquois West
2025 Junior
- Academic All-Big Ten
- Did not play in a game
2024 Sophomore
- Academic All-Big Ten
- Played in one game on the season
- Made Illinois debut vs. Eastern Illinois (8/29/24)
2023 Redshirt Freshman
- Academic All-Big Ten
- Did not play in a game
2022 Redshirt
- Did not play in a game and redshirted the season
- Illinois’ Offensive Look Team Player of the Year
High School
- Three-star recruit by 247Sports and On3
- Position ranks: #95 (On3), #125 (247)
- State ranks: #27 (On3), #39 (247)
- Played for head coach Jason Thiele at Iroquois West
- Three-year letterwinner
- 2021 Illinois High School Football Coaches Association 1A All-State first team
- Two-time All-Vermillion Valley Conference offensive lineman and one-time All-Vermillion Valley Conference defensive lineman
- Two-time News Gazette All-Area
- Also played basketball in high school
- Two-time Board Scholar
- Offers included Central Michigan, Illinois State, and Toledo
Personal
- Born August 11, 2003
- Son of Josh and Jenny Leonard
- Two brothers, Cannon and Cort, and one sister, Phylicity
- Chose Illinois because, “The atmosphere and the famILLy feel.”
- Majoring in kinesiology
- Plans to coach football following his playing career
Thursday, March 05
Thursday, February 12
Thursday, February 05
Wednesday, January 21
