2021 Football Roster
Jersey Number 26
Mike Epstein
- Position:
- RB
- Class:
- Senior
- Height:
- 6-0
- Weight:
- 205
- Hometown:
- Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
- High School:
- St. Thomas Aquinas
Pronunciation: ep-STEEN
2021 Senior
- Academic All-Big Ten
- 25 carries for 121 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown on the season
- Rushed for 82 yards and one touchdown on 16 carries against Nebraska 8/28/21
- Played in the first two games before suffering a season-ending injury
- Took the field for the final snap of the season in a 47-14 win against Northwestern
2020 Senior
- All-Big Ten honorable mention (media)
- All-Big Ten honorable mention (coaches)
- Played in seven games and started three at running back
- Finished the season No. 36 all-time with 1,169 career rushing yards
- 69 carries for 367 rush yards and four touchdowns on the season
- 10th the Big Ten in yards per carry (5.3)
- Two catches for 29 yards on the season
- Tied career-high 113 rushing yards at Nebraska 11/21/20
- Scored his first touchdown since Rutgers 10/5/18 against Purdue 10/31/20
- Mayo Clinic Comeback Player of the Year watch list
2019 Junior
- Injured during the season opener against Akron and missed the remainder of the season
- Eight carries for 45 yards against Akron
2018 Sophomore
- Played seven games with two starts at running back
- 411 rushing yards on 60 carries (6.8 yards per carry) and three touchdowns on season
- 10 receptions for 86 yards
- Missed the last five games and most of the Wisconsin game 10/20/18 with an injury
- Third on the team in rushing yards (411) and tied for third in rushing touchdowns (3)
- Career-high five receptions for career-high 56 receiving yards against South Florida 9/15/18
- Back-to-back 100-yard rushing games against Western Illinois and South Florida
- Career-high 113 rushing yards against South Florida 9/15/18 for third career 100-yard game
- Touchdown in the season opener against Kent State
- Academic All-Big Ten
2017 Freshman
- Played in the first five games of the season with three starts at running back
- Missed the last seven games with an injury
- 57 carries for 346 rushing yards and three touchdowns
- Led Illinois in rushing yards (346) and yards per carry (6.1)
- Fifth true freshman in program history to lead the team in rushing yards
- Tied for the team lead in touchdowns (4; 3 rushing, 1 receiving)
- Third on the team in all-purpose yards (424)
- Led Illinois in all-purpose yards per game (84.8)
- Four receptions for 59 yards and one touchdown
- First career start vs. Western Kentucky
- Team-high 111 rushing yards vs. Western Kentucky, his first career 100-yard game
- Two touchdowns and 105 all-purpose yards in his Illinois debut in the opener against Ball State
- One of six true freshmen in the nation to score multiple touchdowns during the season opener
- Two touchdowns against South Florida (one receiving, one rushing)
- Team-long 58-yard rush at Iowa
High School
- Three-star recruit by Rivals, ESPN and Scout
- Ranked No. 58 running back in the nation by Scout, No. 59 by 247Sports and No. 89 by ESPN
- Ranked No. 92 recruit in Florida by Rivals, No. 143 by 247Sports and No. 197 by ESPN
- Played at St. Thomas Aquinas for head coach Roger Harriott
- 2016 Sun Sentinel All-Broward Football Player of the Year
- 2016 Sun Sentinel 7A All-State first team
- 2016 Sun Sentinel 7A All-County
- Led St. Thomas Aquinas to 2016 Florida 7A state championship with 45-6 win over Tampa Plant in the state title game
- Scored four touchdowns in the state semifinal against Venice
- Helped St. Thomas Aquinas beat Bingham (Utah) 33-25 in State Champions Bowl Series on ESPNU
- Rushed for 1,173 yards on 156 carries (7.5 yards per rush) and 16 touchdowns as a senior
- Totaled over 1,500 yards as a senior
- Season-high 170 rushing yards against Miami Booker T. Washington in the final regular season game of 2016
- Lettered three years in high school
- Missed his junior season with a knee injury
- Spent his first two years of high school at Cypress Bay (Weston, Florida)
Personal
- Born Aug. 6, 1998
- Son of Elizabeth and David Epstein
- Has one sister, Melanie, and one brother, Danny
- Brother, Danny, played football at Colgate (2011-12) and Bryant (2012-15)
- Learned to speak fluent Spanish from his mother
- Picked Illinois because, “of the great coaching staff, great fit for me, being one of the top academic schools in the country and the opportunity to play Big Ten football.”
- Graduated with a degree in marketing
- Enrolled in the strategic brand communication master's program
Thursday, March 05
Thursday, February 12
Thursday, February 05
Wednesday, January 21
