The Illinois football season is on the horizon, and expectations are in a weird place right now.
Coming off back-to-back seasons of at least nine wins, 19 wins combined, the Illini have high hopes of continuing to be competitive in the Big Ten. The departure of Luke Altmyer behind center is going to be a tough hurdle to jump, but Bret Bielema's addition of transfer portal quarterback Katin Houser was big for the program.
Houser has a lot of experience coming into the Illinois program for his final season in the college game, but some of the media don't think he passes the sniff test.
On Tuesday night, On3.com released reporter Ari Wasserman’s top 10 quarterbacks in the Big Ten.
Oregon takes the top spot with Dante Moore. Julian Sayin is next for Ohio State. I keep going down the list, and Houser is nowhere to be found.
Top 10 Big Ten QBs entering 2026🎯
— On3 (@On3) July 7, 2026
(via @AriWasserman) https://t.co/wAgd8mqnAY pic.twitter.com/uZfMRm23vY
Wasserman doesn’t think Illinois has a top 10 quarterback in the conference. This isn’t the nation, which I would agree. This is the Big Ten. How is Houser not in the top 10?
If this were the Houser we saw at Michigan State a few years back, I would agree with leaving him off. He is a much better quarterback than that version in 2023.
Houser has thrown for 5,406 yards, 37 touchdowns, and 17 interceptions in the last two seasons combined with East Carolina. This includes last season, when he threw for 3,300 yards, 19 touchdowns, and six interceptions.
Illinois football has a gunslinger in Katin Houser, and some of the names ahead of him on the top 10 list confuse me
Listen, I understand the top of the list. Moore, Sayin, and Jayden Maiava were all the top three quarterbacks in the Big Ten in passing yards last season. There is no issue there.
The area I get confused with is when you get to seven through 10. That is when I can make a case for Houser to be on the list.
Bryce Underwood was less than impressive for Michigan, throwing for 11 touchdowns and nine interceptions in 2025. Malik Washington only had 17 touchdowns and nine interceptions for Maryland. Nico Iamaleava had 13 touchdowns and seven interceptions for UCLA. And Drake Lindsey only had 18 touchdowns and six interceptions for Maryland.
Houser is coming into an Illinois offense that was tailored around Altmyer. Their games are very similar. I don’t think people are realizing how much of a plug-and-play this offense is going to be with Houser behind center.
Keep doubting Illinois. They have doubted us for years now, and all we have done is win 19 games and knock off two SEC programs in bowl games the last two seasons.
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