Illinois Football: Illini quarterback situation looks better
The Illinois football team is 2-5 on the season but, much like last year, this season is an experiment to see who fits best with the program.
Last week, the Illini played one of their most impressive games of the season. They competed with Minnesota and came pretty close to pulling an upset. But, thanks to youth and figuring out who is the best option at quarterback, Illinois once again fell short of a victory.
This loss doesn’t affect my outlook on the future of this great program, though. Illinois still has a bright future no matter what national media member thinks Josh Whitman wants to get rid of Lovie Smith. He has been coaching this team well – despite a few question marks I have – and the recruiting trail seems pretty hot to me. There is no doubt in my mind that the future is bright and the needle is pointing north for this program.
I am even okay with the quarterback situation right now as well. That is the first time this season I could honestly say that statement. Illinois decided to go with two quarterbacks last week. Jeff George Jr. got the start like many people had expected, but true freshman Cam Thomas also saw some action for the first time in his career.
Thomas wasn’t impressive through the air. He did have a few nice passes but overall, there is room for improvement. But, you also have to remember, this is a true freshman’s first game at quarterback in the Big Ten. That is a daunting task.
The thing that impressed me the most about Thomas was his legs, of course. He was touted as a great runner coming out of Marian Catholic High School in Chicago Heights, Illinois. That is one of the main reasons why the coaching staff recruited him. Garrick McGee loves a mobile quarterback who has an arm and Thomas fits the bill perfectly.
This week will likely be another rotation at quarterback for the Illini. They are weaning Thomas into the system and, in the meantime, George will be in the main passer for this team. I don’t mind this at all considering he had a pretty good game last week throwing for 128 yards and a touchdown on 18-of-23 passing.
Next: 3 observations from the Minnesota loss
Overall, though, I like what the coaching staff is doing right now. Keep the rotation coming so Thomas can learn and develop. George will come in so he can throw some deep passes and take some pressure off the running game. This seemed like a plan that worked last week and I am curious how it will work against No. 5 Wisconsin this week. Hopefully, Saturday is a competitive game.