Not many teams projected to make real noise in the Big Ten this fall are getting slept on quite like Illinois. And not many quarterbacks with Luke Altmyer’s résumé are still fighting for national respect. But here we are. Despite a solid 2024 campaign and a head coach in Bret Bielema who’s methodically building a sustainable program in Champaign, the Illini still can’t shake the feeling that they’re the underdog in a league full of heavyweights. Altmyer, now firmly entrenched as QB1, isn’t surprised—but he’s absolutely keeping receipts.
On May 29, in a sit-down with NBC Sports, Luke Altmyer didn’t sugarcoat the public perception around Illinois football. “There’s no secret that Illinois hasn’t been a great, you know, winning culture, whatever you want to call it, and throughout history,” he said. “It’s been a team that’s been looked down upon because they haven’t won a whole lot of games. And that’s just the bottom line.” His tone wasn’t bitter—just brutally honest.
Growing up in SEC country, Altmyer knows what it means to come from a region where football is the culture. And he gets why Illinois is still viewed through a second-tier lens. “When you think of Illinois, you don’t think about football. And that’s just the bottom line.” But that’s where Bret Bielema steps in—and where the narrative starts to shift.
Altmyer spoke about Bielema’s impact with quiet confidence, pointing to the coach’s early success as a sign of things to come. “With Coach Bielema, with what he’s created—you know, his first year here winning eight games and kind of getting that back on track in 2023—not doing what we wanted to do, but this year, with the pieces that we have and what we have around us and the way we work, we can compete with anybody,” Altmyer said. There’s no flash in his voice, no viral soundbite. Just a quarterback who knows how hard his team works and how little credit they’ve gotten for it. “We weren’t getting the respect that we deserve… we didn’t win every single game, but we won some big ones, and we put ourselves in good positions, and we’re going to keep on doing that.”
Does he take the slight personally? “Maybe my younger self would,” Altmyer admitted. “But the outside voices and outside noise, it doesn’t affect what’s important; that’s just what matters. And that’s what we do here in every single day.” There’s maturity in that response—a leader’s tone. But make no mistake: the chip is still there. “And when we get our opportunities against the big dogs, we got to go put our money where our mouth is.” That’s a passer who’s circling dates on the calendar. That’s a team that knows it still has something to prove.
Luke Altmyer proved plenty in 2024. He threw for 2,717 yards, completing 60.8% of his passes, with 22 touchdowns to just six interceptions. And while he isn’t the most elusive quarterback in the country, his legs are an underrated asset. “He’s not hyper elusive, I wouldn’t say. But he can run when he needs to,” said Joel Klatt, who recently ranked Altmyer among his top 10 quarterbacks in college football. Altmyer added 217 rushing yards and four touchdowns on the ground, continuing a trend that’s now seen him eclipse nearly 500 rushing yards in two seasons at Illinois. He’s not just a pocket guy—he’s a gamer who can make plays when the system breaks down.
And that’s the thing about this Illinois team. They’ve lived on the margins—earning wins the hard way, building identity brick by brick. Altmyer knows they’ll never be the media darling. “We understand… the program’s history hasn’t been respected,” he said. “But we understand that now’s our time to go change that and change that narrative.”
Why Luke Altmyer would go to battle for Bret Bielema
There’s a lot of coach-speak in college football, but when Luke Altmyer spoke about playing under Bret Bielema, it was from the heart, not a media script.
“I mean, like I’ve just quoted on before—you know, consistency, character, integrity, leadership, connection, communication, all those things are real,” Altmyer said, getting reflective about the man leading the Illinois program. “Like, you know, I could be blowing smoke about that, but I mean, if you were in our building or anybody, they would see that consistency, and the way he cares and loves is certainly—it’s just the truth.” That’s not lip service. That’s respect. And it’s earned.
Altmyer lit up when talking about the culture Bielema has created in Champaign. “We love playing for him because of it. You know, he loves us, and he shows it every single day—and it’s real.”
What makes Bielema stand out? Not just his resume—which includes championships and NFL experience—but his humanity. “He’s a great guy and a great family man and he’s a great football coach and that’s just the bottom line… He’s a friend. He loves strong, you know—feels strongly, and we feel that.” In the end, what truly counts is what the Illinois Fighting Illini fight for every single day.
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