Illinois Football: Illini sign class of 2021 quarterback Samari Collier

Illinois football needs a shot in the arm on the offensive side of the ball, and snagging one of the top quarterbacks from Texas may just do that in the future.

On Wednesday, Samari Collier made it official and signed with the Illini. This is a big step for the young quarterback considering the coaching situation is up in the air in Champaign.

Collier is a 6-foot-3, 220-pound dual-threat quarterback from DeSoto High School and resides in DeSoto, Texas. He is rated as a three-star recruit and is the No. 1007 player in the class of 2021 and the No. 33 dual-threat quarterback in the nation. He is also the No. 142 player in the state of Texas.

Breakdown of Collier’s impact on Illinois

Illinois’ quarterback room is about to get a little thinner as incumbent starter Brandon Peters is likely to depart. This would leave the starting job open.

I believe St. Louis native, Isaiah Williams, has earned first crack at the starting quarterback job at Illinois. He was a redshirt freshman this season, so he might still technically be one next year as well, thanks to the NCAA adjusting the rules to make this season essentially not count.

This shouldn’t hinder the progress of Collier, though. I fully expected him to redshirt in year one anyway. Illinois has a solid backup in Coran Taylor, so there shouldn’t be a need to rush Collier into action.

Snagging a quarterback every year is important for depth purposes. Collier will get his chance to start down the road, but having him as a solid backup is needed for this program. The next coaching staff is going to have a nice quarterback room when they arrive in Champaign.