Gone are the days when the Illinois football team didn’t have a quality quarterback behind center.
Bret Bielema has put the Illini in a position that we had rarely been in before he took over. Illinois has a good starting quarterback and a lot of potential when it comes to depth.
Do you remember what this program was before Bielema took over? The quarterback position was a combination of Brandon Peters, AJ Bush, Jeff George Jr., Chayce Crouch, etc. Peters was the best thrower of the ball, and he only completed 55.3% of his passes in his best season.
Illinois is now heading into the 2025 season with the best quarterback situation since Kurt Kittner donned the Orange and Blue. It all starts with our fearless leader, Luke Altmyer.
Illinois’ quarterback room is highlighted by an elite quarterback and the future at the position
Illinois quarterback highlights – Experience
I would venture to say there aren’t a lot of college football teams across all levels who can say they have a third-year starter returning who threw for 2,717 yards, 22 touchdowns, and six interceptions in 2024.
The fact that Illinois has a player like Luke Altmyer returning for his third season in Champaign is so valuable for the program. The experience and knowledge of Barry Lunney’s system is going to pay massive dividends, especially early on in the season.
Altmyer should be able to click early on with some of his wide receivers, too. Hank Beatty, Malik Elzy, and Co. are back with the program, and they are all familiar with Altmyer’s cadence. Look for this to be important in 2025.
On top of the experience from Altmyer, Bielema went out and got a backup in Ethan Hampton. He has played four years in the college ranks with Northern Illinois, and Hampton is coming off a season where he threw for 1,600 yards, 12 touchdowns, and six interceptions.
Illinois quarterback lowlights – Injury insurance
While I love that Bielema snagged an experienced quarterback in Hampton, Illinois doesn’t have much in the way of injury insurance.
If the worst-case scenario happens, the Illini would be stuck with someone like Hampton starting. If he can’t throw for more than 1,600 yards and 12 touchdowns in the MAC, how do I expect him to do better in the Big Ten?
The other options in the Illinois quarterback room are all freshmen. I think Trey Petty is going to be pretty good, as well as Carson Boyd and Jershaun Newton, but they are all unproven commodities.
Illinois quarterback future – Potential through the roof
I mentioned Boyd, Newton, and Petty in the last section of this article. All three are freshmen, and they have all proved in the high school ranks to be able to fling the ball around.
While they don’t have experience and haven’t taken a snap in the college ranks, Illinois has potential through the roof when it comes to the future at the quarterback position.
Illinois is losing both Altmyer and Hampton after the 2025 season. One of the three quarterbacks mentioned above will need to be able to step into the starting role. All three were quality recruits, too. There is so much talent in the Illinois quarterback room, and the future is extremely bright.