Katin Houser downplaying his run ability shouldn't worry Illinois fans

The Luke Altmyer era is over at Illinois, and yes, we are all sad to see it end, but head coach Bret Bielema made sure to bring in experience from the transfer portal rather than going with a young quarterback. ECU transfer Katin Houser will take over for Altmyer, and he is no stranger to the Big Ten.

Houser spent his first two seasons at Michigan State before transferring to the Pirates for two seasons. Now, he finds himself back in the Big Ten, this time with the Illini. At ECU, Houser threw for 3,300 yards and 19 touchdowns, but it's his running ability that has fans excited for what he has to offer. Houser may have only had 193 rushing yards, but a stellar nine rushing touchdowns, making him effective in the red zone.

Houser joined Bielema and other Illinois representatives at Big Ten Media Days on Tuesday. While he admits he can run the ball, he downplayed his ability, understanding he may not have to rely on it in Champaign.

"I take pride in running the ball. I'm not like I'm not going to make anybody miss or anything; I'm pretty north and south runner," Houser said. "Especially in this conference now, I gotta be careful about how many hits I take."

Katin Houser can run the ball but knows he doesn't have to at Illinois

A mobile quarterback is always a good thing to have, and it's clear from the numbers that Houser is exactly that. After Altmyer had nearly 250 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns in 2025, Illinois needs a quarterback who can move well on his feet.

Houser made a great point, though, in his interview. The Big Ten is a different conference from The American, with very different teams, so the hits will be a little different from the defense. Houser needs to stay healthy to give Illinois its best chance at success this season. If he doesn't have to run the ball, it could save him from taking too many unnecessary hits.

This isn't something Houser isn't aware of; even he said himself that he doesn't look to run the ball; he does it more out of necessity. It is good to have the mobile ability to escape pressure, but if Houser can throw the ball more than run, Illinois' offense can take off this season.

Houser can throw the ball; 3,300 passing yards in 2025 prove that. Again, the Big Ten is a different beast than The American, and he will be working with a new offensive line, but that is where his rushing ability can come into play.

The offense will have a very different look this season, but Houser has the ability and the experience to help this offense pick up right where it left off the last two seasons.

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