It was less than a decade ago that the Illinois football team didn’t have to worry about what happened after the season concluded.
The days of not winning six games, so the Illini wouldn’t be bowling, are over. We are now consistently making bowl games, and it is fun for the fanbase.
Now that Illinois is a good program, there are some new experiences that come with the success. One of those is whether players will stick around and play in the bowl game, or will they decide to prep for the NFL Draft and everything that comes with it.
Luke Altmyer is coming off one of the best seasons a quarterback has had in Champaign in…well…ever. He is surely going to be looked at by NFL teams, and there is a ton of prep that goes into potentially getting drafted next April.
Instead of doing the rightfully selfish thing, which I wouldn’t blame him one bit for doing, Altmyer decided to go against the norm. On Friday night, he posted a video of his decision.
See y’all in Nashville pic.twitter.com/cMVBADpXe2
— Luke Altmyer (@lukealtmyer9) December 12, 2025
If that video doesn’t get you misty-eyed, pumped, jazzed, jacked, and all of those emotions, then I don’t know what will. Altmyer was already a fan-favorite without the video and playing in the Music City Bowl, but now that he posted that video confirming he is going to be in Nashville with the program, he might be No. 1 for me all-time.
What does Luke Altmyer’s NFL Draft stock look like as of right now
Altmyer could have gone the prep route for the NFL Draft, and that would make sense. I believe he is probably a later in the draft type of talent in the eyes of scouts right now, but he could always work his way up.
The numbers are there for Altmyer to be seriously looked at as an NFL quarterback. He threw for 2,811 yards, 21 touchdowns, and five interceptions in 2025. He also had a 68.1% completion rate, which was top 20 in the country.
Beyond those numbers, Altmyer saw success against the top defenses in football, too. Illinois played three top 15 pass defenses this season, and in those games, Altmyer threw for an average of 196 yards and had four touchdowns and just one interception.
Altmyer has grown as a quarterback over the past three seasons. He went from holding onto the football too long and not being able to make quick decisions, to being one of the best quarterbacks I have seen come through Champaign. He is accurate and gets the speed of the game. I am excited to watch him one more time with the Orange and Blue, and the NFL will come calling in April.