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Illinois Football: Top 5 transfer portal quarterbacks for the Illini 1.0

By Rees Woodcock

Oct 1, 2022; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Bret Bielema looks on during the second quarter against the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 1, 2022; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Bret Bielema looks on during the second quarter against the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports /
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Sep 3, 2022; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Miami (Oh) Redhawks quarterback Brett Gabbert (5) throws a pass during the first quarter against the Kentucky Wildcats at Kroger Field. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 3, 2022; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Miami (Oh) Redhawks quarterback Brett Gabbert (5) throws a pass during the first quarter against the Kentucky Wildcats at Kroger Field. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports /

3. Brett Gabbert

There was a quarterback a few years back who was flying under the radar, and he ended up landing with a MAC program and succeeding. That player was Brett Gabbert.

Gabbert wasn’t highly rated coming out of Christian Brothers College High School in Missouri. He was a three-star recruit who was the No. 1177 player in the class of 2019. A ton of mid-major programs were wanting Gabbert, and he would end up picking Miami (OH) as his landing spot.

In the four seasons he was with the program, Gabbert performed pretty well for the RedHawks. His best season came in 2021 when he threw for 2,648 yards, 26 touchdowns, and six interceptions. I believe in 2022, Gabbert dealt with some injuries. He was limited to just 816 yards, four touchdowns, and zero interceptions this season.

Illinois could use a quarterback for a year as the young guys improve. Gabbert would be a great option. He put up big numbers with Miami (OH), and he has NFL blood. His brother, Blaine, was a great college quarterback and had a long NFL career.

I think another thing to watch is the location of Gabbert. He is out of St. Louis, and Illinois has a great recruiting hub there. Coach Cory Patterson is a recruiting specialist who knows the St. Louis area well.

Gabbert would be a great fit for the Illinois football program. He has a live arm, and the Illini have the wide receiver and tight end talent to elevate Gabbert’s game to the next level.

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