A massive new Illinois football recruiting target could be an upgrade for 2027

I subscribe to the notion that everything happens for a reason, and I am in full belief of that when it comes to the Illinois football quarterback competition in 2027.

Entering the 2026 campaign, the Illini quarterback position is pretty set. Incoming transfer Katin Houser will get the nod, and then the backup is going to be a competition between Carson Boyd, Michael Clayton II, and Jershaun Newton. The assumption is that Boyd is the backup.

But who knows which quarterback will be the starter in 2027? Every starting quarterback at Illinois in the Bret Bielema era has been a transfer portal addition. So, will that trend be bucked? I mean, could a freshman come into the program and get the starting job? One option intrigues me greatly right now.

Kamden Lopati spurned the Illini and flipped his commitment to Michigan. That was painful, but you could kind of see it coming. I go back to my original statement; everything happens for a reason.

Illinois’ new quarterback target for 2027 seems to be Dane Weber. We came in with an offer to Weber on April 27, and there was a visit. Weber then made the Elite 11, and Illinois made a graphic for him, and he reposted that graphic. There are clearly some resources being put into the recruitment.

Weber has been on official visits to Cincinnati and Kansas in April. He has visits set up with Cal, Michigan, and UCLA in May and June. My guess is that the Michigan visit will go away with Lopati flipping to the Wolverines. Illinois seems to have some momentum, so I fully expect an official visit coming.

There seems to be a big push for Weber, and rightfully so. He is a good quarterback. When the dust settles, could this be a blessing in disguise for the Illini?

Lopati saw a big jump in recruiting, up to No. 122 nationally. Weber is currently only a three-star who is the No. 463 player in the country.  

I would argue that if Illinois could land Weber, we would be getting a better quarterback because of pure numbers.

Lopati threw for 2,671 yards, 34 touchdowns, and eight interceptions last season. He only had a 64.8% completion percentage as well. Weber was able to throw for 3,645 yards, 41 touchdowns, and nine interceptions as a junior. He had a 70.1% completion percentage, too.

One thing that stood out about Lopati is his running ability. He has a good arm, and he also ran for 730 yards and 10 touchdowns for West High School. Weber was able to keep up with those numbers, too. He ran for 688 yards and 14 touchdowns.

On a national level, Weber is right there with the best of the best. The recruiting sites haven’t caught on yet, but Weber has a spot in the Elite 11 Finals. He is there with Lopati and another quarterback who spurned Illinois, Trae Taylor.

So, Weber is on the same level nationally, and he put up better numbers as a junior than a previously committed four-star quarterback. In my eyes, this seems like it would be an upgrade from what we had just months ago.

Can Bret Bielema and Illinois football buck the transfer portal trend and trust a young quarterback like Dane Weber

There is still a long way to go to land Weber, as many big-time programs are eyeing him. I honestly believe this recruitment will come down to Illinois, UCLA, and Cal. Cincinnati doesn’t have the money to compete with this crew, and Michigan already has Lopati committed, so I think both programs are going to be out.

Financially, Illinois can compete and beat out UCLA and Cal. I think a big chip for us, for once in my lifetime, is the ability to win on the field. UCLA and Cal have both been barely treading water, while Illinois has won 19 games in the last two seasons, which includes two bowl wins over SEC programs.

I think the biggest thing for Illinois is, can we bring in a player like Weber and get him snaps or even a starting job early on?

Illinois literally hasn’t had a recruited player out of the high school ranks start a game in the Bielema era. Every start has been from a transfer portal addition. That likely continues in 2026.

In 2027, Illinois will either have to go out and get a transfer portal player, or we can lean on one of the inexperienced players on the roster. Weber would be the other option. Landing him would give the program one of the highest-rated and most talented passers to come through Champaign in years.

There is one thing I know for sure, though. I want Weber in the Orange and Blue. He is an elite player, and I think he would be an upgrade over what we had stolen from us in the last few months.

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