Tack on another preseason watch list for Illinois QB Luke Altmyer

The preseason watch lists for one award or another continue to roll out as Week 0 of the 2025 college football season flies into focus.

Once again, Illinois starting quarterback Luke Altmyer has found his name among the best QBs in the country on yet another watch list. This time around, Altmyer is on the preseason list for the Manning Award, which goes to the best quarterback in the country and the only award that includes a player's postseason performance.

Altmyer is one of 27 quarterbacks to make the watch list, alongside former College Football Playoff QBs like Penn State's Drew Allar, Clemson's Cade Klubnik, and Arizona State's Sam Leavitt

Every year, the Manning Award is decided by the AllState Sugar Bowl committee and is awarded in honor of all-time great quarterbacks Archie, Eli, and Peyton Manning.

"We're looking forward to another exciting year of college football," Archie Manning said. "I'd like to thank the Sugar Bowl for continuing to build the tradition of the Manning Award, which now has over 20 years of honoring the top quarterbacks in the country for the entire football season. This year, we have another great group on our preseason Watch List; in October, we'll review the transfers and other newcomers and then boost the Watch List with the best from that group."

The Manning Award has been handed out for 20 years now and was most recently won by Miami's Cam Ward, who went on to become the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

If Altmyer can secure the award, he would be the first-ever Illinois quarterback to do so. Currently, LSU lays claim to the most Manning Award winners with three, followed by Texas, Alabama, Clemson, and Oklahoma with two apiece.

Earlier in the summer, Altmyer was also included on the preseason watch list for the 2025 Maxwell Award, which goes to the most outstanding overall player in the country.

Altmyer and the Fighting Illini will kick off their 2025 campaign on Friday, Aug. 29, with an at-home matchup against the Western Illinois Leathernecks. Kick off is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT, and the game will be broadcast on Peacock.