After back-to-back nine-plus win seasons with back-to-back bowl game wins over SEC opponents, Illinois should be getting a ton of respect on the football field, right? Wrong.
Bret Bielema has resurrected the Illinois football program from the dead, something not many thought was possible, and still isn't gaining an ounce of respect. If there is one thing Bielema isn't a fan of, it is disrespect to his program and any of its players, so he's making sure everyone knows he sees and hears it all.
Bielema is one to keep every receipt as bulletin board material for his team, and he seems to have found his latest bit of disrespect to file back. On3's Ari Wasserman released his Top 10 Preseason Big Ten quarterback rankings, and new Illinois quarterback Katin Houser was noticeably absent from the list, to the dismay of Bielema, who shared the post, hinting that Houser plans to quiet the haters.
Shhhhhh 🤫🏈🤫#ILL https://t.co/D4rkOEAZU1
— Bret Bielema (@BretBielema) July 8, 2026
Katin Houser could play with a massive chip on his shoulder at Illinois
I am sure that Bielema is not the only one in the Illinois locker room to have seen the rankings, but if he is, he certainly will make it known to his guys. Bielema is never afraid to speak his mind and get under the skin of his opponents, and this is another example of that. Not only is he backing his new quarterback, but telling the world that they aren't paying enough attention to Houser.
The ECU transfer is no stranger to the Big Ten, spending his first two college football seasons with Michigan State before heading to The American Conference. Houser's final season in the Big Ten wasn't horrible, but not his best work, throwing for 1,130 yards, six touchdowns, and five interceptions.
Houser's time at ECU shows a lot more of his skill, throwing for 3,300 yards, 19 touchdowns, and only six interceptions in 2025, showing a decrease in his touchdown-to-turnover ratio. Houser has also been known to use his legs a bit, totaling 193 rushing yards and nine rushing touchdowns for the Pirates.
Now, Houser will have to find a way to translate those types of numbers to the Big Ten, as this time, he dons an Illinois uniform. He will even get a chance to face off against his former team, Michigan State, later in the season.
There might be some doubt that Houser can perform at the Big Ten level, especially after what he did at Michigan State, but that was three years ago. Houser is a different player now, and can use that chip on his shoulder of being snubbed in the rankings, and proving to this conference that he belongs, to really make a difference at Illinois.
It is clear that Bielema is backing his quarterback, who has some big shoes to fill with Luke Altmeyer now in the NFL. In college football, though, when one man leaves, it is the next man up, and that is Houser in this case at Illinois.
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