We’re in the deep depths of the college football off-season right now. Saturdays shall remain impassively vacant for a while, with fall a fair way away. The NFL Draft and spring camp provided spurts of chaotic pageantry and excitement, but are also in the rear-view mirror. The sport’s in hibernation, or aestivation rather. But hey, the fiends need their fix. So, in a sport where hypotheticals decide who does and doesn’t make the playoffs, one of the most prominent voices in its media sphere has decided to indulge in some subjectivity and forecasting himself. FOX’s Joel Klatt has just floated something very intriguing onto the airwaves.
As football evolves further and further away from a gritty, ground-and-pound style and more towards slinging the pigskin, the quarterback position is more important than ever. As if it wasn’t the single-most important position in team sport already. The QB and the quality he possesses are very representative of how good their team will do. The correlation is very pronounced. So when Joel Klatt unveils his top 10 QBs heading into the ‘25 CFB season, there’s naturally a lot of buzz. But one player, and by extension his team and fanbase, are perhaps feeling more excited than others. An understated and often underappreciated signal caller has found himself on Klatt’s list. Giving the uninitiated a chance to buy their stock in him before it runs out.
Slotted in at #9, Joel Klatt had Illinois’ redshirt senior Luke Altmyer. Although he plies his trade in the Big 10, Altmyer remains distant from mainstream media and the casual fan. Largely because Illinois has historically been an afterthought in the conference. Which, in theory, could’ve become even more marked after blue-chip brands like USC and Oregon realigned to it. But instead of being accommodating, Illinois wound up breaking its single-season win record. Going 10-3 in the stacked B1G is commendable, and Luke Altmyer is a key reason behind it. Earning him some praise, albeit cautiously, from Joel Klatt over his namesake show.
“This one’s going to be a bit of a surprise,” said Klatt to preface the No.9 pick. “I landed on Luke Altmeyer from Illinois, namely because of experience. [The] experience factor, particularly for Altmyer, I think is real,” he added. At the collegiate level, experience really is the optimal yardstick to measure QBs by. Since there’s such a dearth of it, with the ones possessing any just going to the NFL. “He’s not the flashiest guy on the list, and it’s not an offense that’s going to put up a huge amount of numbers throwing the football,” continued Klatt. “[But] You look at his touchdown-interception ratio from a year ago. It’s 22-6. I really like that. He’s entering year three [as a starter]. He can run when he needs to. He’s not hyper elusive, I wouldn’t say. But he can run when he needs to.”
A 4-star prospect coming out of high school, Luke Altmyer initially went to his in-state Ole Miss. After redshirting as a freshman in 2021 and then being a backup to Jaxson Dart the next season, Altmyer transferred to Illinois. He’s been a 2-year starter there, going into a 3rd year. Altmyer could’ve made that ascension to the NFL this offseason, with an ample body of work behind him. But he chose to stick around in Urbana-Champaign. Luke Altmyer’s conjured 5,099 yards with Illinois in 22 starts, including 499 on the ground. Joel Klatt is correct in his assessment that he isn’t quite a dependable threat to move the sticks by legging it downfield. But Altmyer is athletic and mobile in and out of the pocket. Plus, he does have some chunk runs to his name. Getting shouted out by a national analyst is a testament to his talent and application.
Heading into the fall, Illinois is once again expected to be in and around the upper echelons of the Big 10. The onus for which will largely fall on Luke Altmyer. Entering his final year of eligibility, he really could do with some gaudy statistics and Ws in the win column. Apart from Altmyer, Joel Klatt made a couple of other surprising placements on his list, too.
Luke Altmyer is in some very good company on Joel Klatt’s quarterback ranking
Luke Altmyer finished in front of new Miami QB1 Carson Beck on Joel Klatt’s T-10 list. A fair assessment, all things considered, since Beck is coming off a shoddy year with Georgia. One name that perhaps could’ve been slotted higher from purely a talent and dynamism POV is LaNorris Sellers of South Carolina. Who came in at #8, but is tipped to be one of the very best QB prospects from an NFL lens. Speaking of quarterbacks that could’ve been slotted higher, Florida’s DJ Lagway was #7 on the shortlist.
LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier, another who returns both quality and experience, came in at #6. So far, it’s hard to argue Luke Altmyer has been hard done by Joel Klatt. And that theme continues with his fellow Big 10 contemporary Drew Allar at #5. Allar’s one of the most polarizing quarterbacks in the sport, owing to the perceived gulf in his repertoire of skills vs execution. So coming in right down the middle of the road befits him.
ASU’s Sam Leavitt and new Oklahoma Sooner John Mateer were named 4th and 3rd, respectively. If you’re wondering whether Klatt’s on the Arch Manning hypetrain, he is. The Texas starboy was #2, and the list is topped by Clemson’s Cade Klubnik. Who, like Altmyer, could’ve gone to the NFL. But sticking around for another year does seem to be the smart, shrewd move for each one. Both gaining for reverence than ever before.
Last year, Luke Altmyer and Illinois had the advantage of being unknown quantities. Almost being overlooked, even. But this year, their opposition is going to be much more wary. Planning more meticulously, and playing with more vim. It’ll be fascinating to witness whether they can manage to navigate this additional duress and continue to blossom.
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