Luke Altmyer keeps building his Illinois football legend

Honestly, you can count the number of legendary Illinois football quarterbacks on one hand, that is how few and far between they have been.

As the Illini enter the 2025 campaign, we have a gunslinger behind center who I believe will go down as one of the greatest quarterbacks in program history.

Luke Altmyer is heading into year three with a ton of promise and a lot of hype behind him. That hype got even stronger on Monday afternoon.

On Monday, the Maxwell Award watch list was published, and Altmyer saw his name in the mix to win the prestigious award. The Maxwell Award is earned by the most outstanding player in college football.

Coming off a career year of 2,717 yards, 22 passing touchdowns, and four rushing touchdowns, Altmyer is looking to take another step forward. Being nominated for the most outstanding player in college football is a big deal, and now he has to go prove it on the field.

The Illinois football offensive line is going to be a key to Luke Altmyer’s 2025 success

Football isn’t a solo sport. You have to rely a lot on your teammates, and if Altmyer has to get up looking out of his ear hole every play, it would be a long season.

Thankfully, Illinois returns every starter on the offensive line from the second half of last season. This includes the most important left tackle, JC Davis, who will protect Altmyer’s blind side.

The only question for Altmyer is how quickly he gels with the new-ish wide receivers. Illinois lost the top two wide receivers from the 10-win campaign last season, so there is going to be a learning curve early on. The quicker the offense gels, the better chance the Illini get off to a hot start that is much needed.

Let’s see how Altmyer plays this season. The hype is real, as he is one of the best quarterbacks Illinois has ever had. This kid could make a lot of money with a big-time campaign.