CHAMPAIGN (WCIA) — Illinois defensive back Matthew Bailey will be back for the Penn State game on Saturday. Head coach Bret Bielema said that Bailey has been practicing the last two weeks and is expected to be in the game on Saturday.

Bailey’s been out since the spring with a foot injury. The safety had a standout freshman season, from a no- star recruit out of Moline to a big time difference maker, intercepting three passes last season, Bailey was in line to slide into Sydney Brown’s former spot in the secondary.

“Matt is a tremendous player, as a person, as a player, very coachable, he’s kind of a coach on the field, does a really good job of taking players under his wings,” Bret Bielema said. “He’s kind of got a calm personality to him so when things get big, he has a tendency to calm them down and just a good emphasis for us as coaches to have him in the game.”