Illinois Football: Projected Illini QB depth chart with Brandon Peters
Backup – Isaiah Williams (4-Star, 5-foot-9.5, 170-pounds)
I have Isaiah Williams slotted in as the backup quarterback to start the 2019 season. Some people may scratch their head at this but this would be the best option for the Illini to start the year.
Williams was one of the biggest recruits that the Lovie Smith coaching staff has landed since being in Champaign. He is a 5-foot-9.5, 170-pound dual-threat quarterback from Trinity Catholic High School in St. Louis, Missouri. He is rated as a four-star recruit who is the No. 116 player in the class of 2019 and the No. 6 athlete in the nation. He was also the No. 2 player in the state of Missouri as well.
There weren’t many teams who wanted Williams as a quarterback, but Illinois wants to develop him into one of the best dual-threat players in the nation. I think they will have that chance too. I have Williams backing up Peters for the first four games of the 2019 campaign. Once that fourth game is over with, he can still redshirt his freshman season thanks to an NCAA rule that changed a few years back. This would be the best case scenario for the Illini.
Williams is going to bring a strong running element to this program. I can’t wait to see him on the field. But he should redshirt after the fourth game effectively making the next player on this list the primary backup.