Illinois Football: Getting Tommy Stevens would be a big move for the Illini
Big news was released on Saturday about how the Illinois football quarterback situation could possibly change even more for 2019.
On Saturday night, MJ Rivers announced on Twitter that he had put his name into the transfer portal. He will be looking for a new home in 2019 and beyond. He has to sit out 2019 and will have three years of eligibility remaining. At the same time this was happening, Alec Busse of The Daily Illini was releasing some news about another, potential, change to who could be behind center in 2019.
Busse tweeted out that Illinois has Penn State graduate transfer quarterback, Tommy Stevens, visiting on Sunday. Busse also reports that it is believed Stevens has been told that he has the starting job in 2019 if he picks the Illini. This is some massive news for the Illinois football team and fans
Coming out of Decatur Central High School in Indianapolis, Indiana, Stevens was a 6-foot-4, 219-pound dual-threat quarterback. He was rated as a three-star recruit who was the No. 64 player in the class of 2015 and the No. 22 dual-threat quarterback in the nation. He was also the No. 9 player in the state of Indiana as well.
#Illini have Penn State grad-transfer QB Tommy Stevens visiting tomorrow. It is believed that Stevens assurance he will have a road to being the starting QB, and with Rivers transferring the door is much more open for a grad-transfer to get starters snaps.
— Alec Busse (@alec_busse) May 5, 2019
Stevens spent four seasons with the Nittany Lions. He redshirted year one and then played the last three years as the backup quarterback. He was 2-of-3 for 36 yards during his redshirt freshman campaign. He was 14-of-27 for 158 yards and three touchdowns during his sophomore season. In 2018, Stevens was 8-of-11 for 110 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
Losing Rivers hurts because I liked the kid, but Illinois has a plan. This coaching staff has a plan. If we could land Stevens for 2019, that would be optimal. He could come in and start for this program. He has more experience than anyone on the team as well. I like Stevens’ ability to run with the ball while also being a solid passer.
If Stevens would pick Illinois, this would give Isaiah Williams a year to redshirt and learn the speed of the game. He could develop under offensive coordinator Rod Smith for a year before being unleashed as a redshirt freshman in 2020. This would work best for him and the rest of the team as well.
Next. Illini QB MJ Rivers puts name in transfer portal. dark
When I saw the news of Rivers leaving the program, it was depressing. But then the news of Stevens popped up right behind it. This is great news for the program. I believe Stevens could get this team back to a bowl game and into the national spotlight. This would be a big get by Lovie Smith and the Illini coaching staff.