Illinois football kicks off the 2025 season this month, and there is so much talent on the offensive side of the ball.
The Illini are coming off a 10-win campaign that saw us win the Citrus Bowl over South Carolina. We didn’t have to reload, as 16 of our 22 starters are back in the mix. A lot of that starting talent came on the offensive side of the ball, too.
Here is the Illinois football projected offensive depth chart for the 2025 season
Quarterback
Starter – Luke Altmyer
This is the most stable the Illinois quarterback situation has been in years, and it has a lot to do with Luke Altmyer behind center.
Altmyer is back for his third and final season with the Illini. He is coming off a career year where he threw for 2,717 yards, 22 touchdowns, and just six interceptions. The legs of Altmyer are what really helped set him apart, as he had 217 yards and four touchdowns on the ground.
It is obvious that Altmyer is going to start the 2025 season for the Illini. He has a chance to elevate his name to heights we haven’t seen in a very long time.
- 2nd String – Ethan Hampton
The backup quarterback role seems pretty set in stone, too. Ethan Hampton transferred into the Illinois program this offseason after spending four years at Northern Illinois. In 2024, Hampton threw for 1,600 yards, 12 touchdowns, and six interceptions. He was a solid snag in the transfer portal and one that will help stabilize the Illini offense if something bad happens to our starter.
- 3rd String – Trey Petty
Bret Bielema has put together quite an impressive quarterback room, and I think when the dust settles, Trey Petty is our third-string quarterback. He hasn’t gotten a chance to shine yet, but with Altmyer and Hampton both leaving the program after this season, Petty could be next in line.
- Redshirt – Carson Boyd, Jershaun Newton
Illinois brought in two sensational quarterbacks from the class of 2025. It would be a good idea to redshirt both players and save a year of eligibility as we head into the future. If I had to guess, Boyd would probably compete for that third-string job, but let’s not use a year of his eligibility riding the pine.