After falling just short of leading the Illinois Fighting Illini to glory in the Big Ten, veteran quarterback Luke Altmyer announced he would return for a third year with the program, his fifth season of collegiate football.
Last season, Altmyer truly stepped into his own, amassing an impressive stat line as he led the Fighting Illini to a 10-3 overall record and a win over the South Carolina Gamecocks in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl.
Now, because of his impressive standing last season, Altmyer is the No. 4 returning passing leader in the Big Ten, only trailing Penn State's Drew Allar, Wisconsin's Billy Edwards Jr., and Nebraska's Dylan Raiola.
Altmyer amassed 2,717 passing yards for 22 touchdowns last year, alongside 217 rushing yards for four additional touchdowns on the ground.
Allar, who holds the most passing yards in the conference from last season, only earned 610 more yards through the air and played in two more games than Altymer.
__________ will lead the B1G in passing yards in 2025? 🏈 pic.twitter.com/F9R84zwsFR
— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) August 8, 2025
The best news for Altmyer and Illinois? His wideout and tight end rooms are filled to the brim with returning players whom the quarterback loves to target downfield.
Illinois Fighting Illini receiver depth chart*
- WR-X: Malik Elzy (junior), Alexander Capka-Jones (RS-senior), Brayden Trimble (freshman)
- WR-Z: Hudson Clement (junior transfer), Justin Bowick (transfer junior), Ashton Hollins (RS-junior)
- WR-Slot: Collin Dixon (RS-sophomore), Hank Beatty (senior), Mario Sanders II (RS-junior), Tysean Griffin (RS-freshman)
- TE: Tanner Arkin (RS-senior), Cole Rusk (RS-senior), Davin Stoffel (transfer sophomore), Christian Abney (transfer junior), Jordan Anderson (RS-junior)
So many of Altmyer's targets will be veteran players, who he played with last season and who he relied upon throughout a majority of Illinois's 10-3 run.
*This depth chart is a projection and not an official depth chart from Illinois
Illinois, Altmyer, and the entire receiver room are scheduled to start their 2025 campaign with a home matchup against the Western Illinois Leathernecks on Friday, Aug. 29. The game will kick off at 6:30 p.m. CT and be streamed on Peacock.