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Don’t look now, but Illinois has a top 10 quarterback in the country

Illinois is poised to have a great season, as Luke Altmyer is going to be one of the key cogs to get us to the mountaintop.
ByRees Woodcock|
Nov 2, 2024; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini quarterback Luke Altmyer (9) is introduced before a game with the Minnesota Golden Gophers during the first half at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images
Nov 2, 2024; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini quarterback Luke Altmyer (9) is introduced before a game with the Minnesota Golden Gophers during the first half at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images | Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

The 2024 campaign was one for the ages for the Illinois football program.

It isn’t every season, let me correct that. It isn’t every decade that the Illini can put 10 wins on the board in a single season. 2024 produced 10 victories, the first time it had happened since the 2001 campaign, nearly a quarter-century ago.

There were many contributors to the successful Illinois season. Bret Bielema leading the way at head coach is always a stabilizing force. The Illini had a defense that stepped up at times. We had a solid wide receiver corps. Our running backs had a next-man-up mentality as well.

And then there is the quarterback position. This is the most important position, and you can’t really argue against that fact. Without a solid quarterback, your team is going to struggle. Illinois, finally, had a good quarterback in 2024.

Luke Altmyer went from someone I didn’t care for behind center in 2023 to a man on a mission in 2024. He was a changed passer, and it showed on the field. He threw for 2,717 yards, 22 touchdowns, and six interceptions, the best season from an Illinois quarterback in a very long time.

Now that we are entering the 2025 season, and with Altmyer back in the fold, Illinois has a lot of expectations. A lot of those expectations rest on the shoulders of our fearless quarterback. Altmyer is now looked at as one of the top quarterbacks in the country, too.

On Monday, Joel Klatt of Fox Sports put together his top 10 quarterbacks in college football. Penn State’s Drew Allar is No. 5 on the list. Illinois fans are familiar with him. LaNorris Sellers, the quarterback we beat in the Citrus Bowl, is ranked No. 8. And then at No. 9, you will find a familiar name. Luke Altmyer.

This list doesn’t mean much. It is just someone’s opinion, but the fact that any national pundit is mentioning Altmyer as a top 10 quarterback in the country gets me pretty pumped for the 2025 campaign.

A top 10 quarterback ranking likely means a selection in the 2026 NFL Draft for Luke Altmyer

On the surface, this top 10 ranking is fun to look at and argue who should be ahead of whom. Honestly, I am not buying the Sellers hype, as I think Altmyer should be ranked ahead of him.

Another realization from this ranking is the fact that, if you really are a top 10 quarterback in college football, that tends to mean you are going to be drafted into the NFL.

In the 2024 NFL Draft, 11 quarterbacks were taken off the board. The 2023 NFL Draft had a ridiculous 14 quarterbacks selected. And then in 2022, it was a bad draft for quarterback depth, but there were still nine quarterbacks taken.

So, Altmyer being No. 9 on the list is great for optics, but it also means there is a chance that a team is going to like what they see in the 2026 NFL Draft.

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