Illinois head coach Bret Bielema has never shied away from praising his starting quarterback Luke Altmyer, especially after the QB decided to return for a fifth season of college football instead of heading to the 2025 NFL Draft.
Recently, though, Bielema shared a story that will have fans of the Fighting Illini feeling even more grateful that Altmyer is the man that they call QB1.
It was no secret that Altmyer was a target for top-tier programs looking to land a new starting quarterback from the transfer portal. One report shared that Altmyer had even received a $2 million offer from an SEC powerhouse, but chose to stay in Champaign instead.
“And [Altmyer] never called me once, not a single time to talk about money,” Bielema said of his starting quarterback.
Clearly, Altmyer isn't in the game for the cash, even if that's a pretty major benefit of playing college football these days. Instead, it's the program and the people around him that matter.
Can Luke Altmyer lead Illinois to the College Football Playoffs?
Over the last two seasons and three games, Altmyer has become the undeniable leader of the Illinois offense, earning over 5,300 passing yards and 51 total touchdowns since joining the Illini in 2023.
Last year, the Illinois Fighting Illini fell just short of the College Football Playoffs, finishing 10-3 overall with a fifth-place finish in the Big Ten and a win over the South Carolina Gamecocks in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl.
Altmyer earned a resounding 2,717 passing yards, 22 passing touchdowns, 217 rushing yards, and four rushing touchdowns, all while throwing just six interceptions.
Now, the veteran quarterback has yet another season of college football under his belt, and the Fighting Illini seem more primed than ever to finally return to the Big Ten Championship as teams like Ohio State, Penn State, and Oregon beat each other up along the way.
The pressure of carrying the team to the next level can't fall entirely on Altmyer's shoulders, but as one of the definitive leaders and someone who has large expectations for himself, much less from anyone else, he could be a big reason why Illinois does just that.
So far this season, the Fighting Illini are 3-0, with wins over Western Illinois, Duke, and Western Michigan. Up next, No. 9 Illinois visits the No. 19 Indiana Hoosiers to kick off their Big Ten schedule. Illinois and Indiana are scheduled to kick off at 6:30 p.m. CT on Saturday, Sept. 20, and the game will be aired on NBC and Peacock.