Illinois Football: Mississippi quarterback keeps Illini in top 6

Illinois football has put in some impressive work on a solid quarterback for the class of 2024.

I believe most Illini fans are going to miss Tommy DeVito. He was a solid quarterback who could get the ball from point a to point b, and he could do it efficiently.

Last season, DeVito would throw for 2,650 yards, 15 touchdowns, and four interceptions. This was one of the best seasons an Illinois quarterback has had in program history. But those numbers are now gone. The Illini are looking for new leadership.

Illinois has built up a stockpile of talented quarterbacks on the roster. But, with the quarterback position, nothing is ever a guarantee. The more arm talent in the quarterback room the better. That is why it is exciting for the Illini to be in the running for Trey Petty.

On Sunday night, Petty took to social media to announce that he had cut his list down to just six programs vying for his commitment. The six teams to make Petty’s top list included West Virginia, Indiana, San Diego State, Tulane, Georgia Tech, and Illinois.

Trey Petty clearly likes what the Illinois football program has to offer

To make Petty’s top six is a pretty big deal. He is a 6-foot-1, 187-pound, quarterback from Starkville High School in Mississippi. He is rated as a three-star recruit and ranked as the No. 852 player in the class of 2024. He is also the No. 49 quarterback in the country and the No. 24 player coming out of Mississippi.

Petty has at least 13 scholarship offers on the table right now, but the fact Illinois can offer him on April 5 and already make his top six shows you the impression this program is starting to have on players.

There is no question Petty should take a look at the Illinois program. As previously mentioned, nothing is set in stone with the quarterback position. When he comes in from the class of 2024, Petty can compete for the starting job.

Coming into the 2023 campaign, Illinois has a few options at quarterback. John Paddock, a Ball State transfer, is a senior, so he will depart after this season. Luke Altmyer is someone to keep an eye on. He is a former four-star recruit who transferred in from Ole Miss. My guess is that he is the favorite to win the starting job. He is only a sophomore, though.

Illinois also has a couple of young guns in the bullpen. Donovan Leary is coming off a redshirt year and should be ready to go. Cal Swanson is another name that is intriguing. He rose rapidly in the recruiting rankings last year and enters the Illinois program as a hot prospect. Look for him to make an impact in the coming years.

It won’t be easy but there is room for Petty to come in and do some damage. This kid has all of the ability in the world, and I would love to see him compete for snaps at Illinois.