Many Illinois football fans remember just a few years ago when the team didn’t have much in the way of quarterback play.
Honestly, it was pretty much the entire Lovie Smith era when he was with the Illini. Ironically, he had the same trend with the Chicago Bears. Decent quarterback play always eluded him.
Bret Bielema took over, and instantly, the Illinois quarterback situation improved. In stepped Tommy DeVito, and the Illini saw an eight-win campaign. Luke Altmyer has now been behind center for two seasons, and in year two, Illinois reached the nine-win mark for the first time in nearly 20 years.
But having good quarterback play is more than just the starters slinging the ball around. It is quarterback depth and all the stability that comes with it.
In Altmyer’s first season, Illinois managed five wins but who knows what that number would have been if we didn’t have John Paddock as the backup quarterback. Altmyer dealt with some injury issues, and Paddock saved Illinois a couple of times.
Having a confident starter behind center and stability behind him are two keys to success in the college game. Well, Illinois has Altmyer back for a third season in 2025. Now, we have a backup to help stabilize the quarterback position.
On Thursday, Illinois received the commitment and signature of Ethan Hampton. The 6-foot-3, 216-pound Elburn, Illinois, native played four seasons with Northern Illinois before deciding to take his talents on the road and head south to Champaign.
For his career, Hampton has thrown for 2,568 yards, 21 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions. This includes his best season in 2024 of 1,600 yards, 12 touchdowns, and six interceptions.
Transfer portal quarterback Ethan Hampton can help the Illinois football team in multiple areas
Illinois adding Hampton out of the transfer portal isn’t going to send waves throughout the college football world. I don’t think it was even a blip on most radars.
At the end of the day, this is a solid addition to the Illini, but I hope we don’t see much of Hampton on the football field. That would mean Altmyer was out of the game, and we don’t want that.
I think Hampton can help Illinois in multiple ways, though. The most obvious is stability at quarterback. I think he has a level of talent that will help our first team defense as they prepare for an upcoming game. Going up against someone who knows the college game will be extremely valuable.
I also believe Hampton’s overall experience in the game will help Illinois. Altmyer could always use another eye to help him develop, and Hampton has big-game experience. He helped Northern Illinois defeat Notre Dame earlier this season.
No, this wasn’t the biggest transfer portal addition in the world. Bringing Hampton into the program wasn’t about the splash move. It was a substance move, and I think it was a great get for Bielema and the Illinois coaching staff.