'Few can properly evaluate the quarterback position.'

'Even fewer can properly develop the quarterback position'-Bill Walsh

*'Good quarterback is like a good deodorant covers up a lot of your teams stink'-John Madden.

-Who will the Illini’s 2025 opponents line up at the most important position in football?….let’s take a look.

Era of transfer portal my opinion majority of these first year QB starting at a different school....takes at least half a season to get in sync with the rhythm of the offense/teammates...(sure exceptions to the rule Cam Ward/Kurtis Rourke but doesn’t happen very much)....Bret Bielema's program facing many 'new' starters at the position this fall.

August 29th vs. Western Illinois....New starting quarterback…..Friday night home opener (rest of Illini contests on Saturday)....Leathernecks athletics paid 500K to play in Champaign/next week reportedly get 600K to play at Northwestern....lost their three best returners offensive players to the portal...last year's starter at quarterback (productive Nate Lamb) has graduated.....2024 backup Chris Irvin likely taking snaps vs. the Illini.

September 6th at Duke....On3sports has this game one of their top ten 2025 non-conference contests...New starting quarterback.....Blue Devils went 9-4 last season...2024 starting QB Maalik Murphy left for Oregon State (felt Duke won despite Murphy)....replaced him with Tulane's Darian Mensah for a cool 4 million per year (reportedly)....Mensah led the Green Wave to a 9-5 last fall...run around 'baller play' type...didn't play vs. many solid 'D's in New Orleans....no way I give Mensah 4 million but hey it's not my cash.

September 13th vs. Western Michigan....New starting quarterback....2024 backup Broc Lowery or JC transfer Brady Jones likely Broncos starter....Indiana transfer Lowery got all the first team reps in the spring/saw limited action last fall backing up departed starter Hayden Wolff.

September 20th at Indiana....New starting quarterback...Rourke out of eligibility big loss heart and soul of the team....Fernando Mendoza transferred in from Cal for a season in Bloomington....Some have him as a 2026 first round pick...yeah he had some good games for the shitty Bears….first round pick?.....another QB that ran around making 'baller' plays behind a crap o-line/developed bad habits.

September 27th vs. USC....Make or break season for Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley....First four games vs. Missouri State, Georgia Southern at Purdue and Michigan State before hitting Champaign likely 4-0........Sophomore Jayden Maiava was 3-1 after taking over QB position late in season....good enough player not a difference maker....with an easy schedule.....wouldn't be surprised if Riley gives 6-foot five-star frosh Husan Longstreet plenty of playing time before facing their first tough road game vs. the Illini.

October 4th at Purdue...who knows....New starting quarterback......last year's 'hero' vs. the Illini Ryan Browne transferred to North Carolina this winter...transferred back to West Lafayette after spring ball...Browne awful after his game in Champaign....not much to work with here.

October 11th vs. Ohio State.....New starting quarterback....head coach Ryan Day didn't name a starter out of spring....likely to be freshman Julian Sayin throwing to an all-star squad of receivers.

October 25th at Washington...Demond Williams Jr. is back...he is good.....likely overcome the dope head coach they have calling plays/running the Huskies program.

November 1st vs. Rutgers....He's back.....returning starter Athan Kaliakmanis (don't think he is much good) back along with most of the offense...almost all new starters on ‘D’....by the time they play the Illini impressive sophomore A.J. Surace should be under center in CU.

November 15th vs. Maryland....New starting quarterback.....Mike Locksley's last stand....likely starting a true freshman Malik Washington....backing up Washington will be UCLA carer reserve/transfer Justyn Martin....both likely running for their lives behind another poor Terps o-lin.

November 22nd at Wisconsin.....New starting quarterback.....Maryland transfer Billy Edwards Jr. won the job out of spring.....tough kid took a beating for Lox's team last fall......Terps gave up on him to play a true freshman in a critical season so........San Diego State sophomore transfer Danny O'Neil the backup....loved O'Neil coming out of Indianapolis....He committed to Colorado...followed his recruiter/Buffaloes o-coordinator Sean Lewis to San Diego State when he was named Aztecs head coach....O'Neil when he played last fall looked totally overwhelmed....Badgers don't have a bunch of talent at skill positions so QB going to have to be the 'difference maker'....just don't see that in Edwards.

November 29th vs. Northwestern....New starting quarterback...SMU transfer Preston Stone won the job out of spring....6-foot-1 Texan has one year of eligibility....got hurt/replaced in Dallas....like his talent...Cats' tried to rebuild their o-line off-season...if successful....Stone could have a big season in Evanston.

*’Big Ten coaches talk anonymously about conference foes for 2025.’

-From Athlon Sports' pre-season Big Ten football preview magazine....here is what was said about the Illini.

“I think if they would’ve made the playoff instead of SMU, they could’ve made some noise.” Comment from the peanut gallery: Hip hip hoorah!

“They’re a hard, physical team that’s more talented than people realize, and the program has never looked more competent. They have a clear identity from a guy who’s been smart enough to hold true to his core ideas but learn from his mistakes.” Comment from the peanut gallery: Competent...that's all we ever wanted right?….Business 101 applies to a football program....Have a plan....Be able to explain your plan....Have the people to successfully pull of your plan....Bielema has been able so far to do all three....let's hope it's sustainable.

“They’re returning a ton, too, so that gives them a real advantage going into the fall. [Luke] Altmyer doesn’t get enough love; that kid has become a great quarterback.” Comment from the peanut gallery: Finally someone acknowledges Altmyer...saw the senior working with a QB 'teacher' off-season throwing passes to Illini tight end Cole Rusk...that’s all well and good….at this point Altmyer’s fundamentals should be fine….what should really be working on in my view off-season with ‘QB coaches’???

The most important part of the game for guys that age....game management…. staying away from negative plays…..converting 3rd downs mental part of the football/teaching understanding the game....cause college coaches abused the privilege way back with long practices/film sessions….now these ‘QB gurus’ not on a staff doing more ‘teaching’ than players college coaches….don’t like it a bit…..yeah on the soap box.

“I think it would be massive for this league if this program could make the playoff. This is proof of concept for a long-term vision of recruiting and developing at a place that isn’t Ohio State, Penn State or Michigan, and it’s paying off.” Comment from the Peanut Gallery: See above…..competent leadership/commitment….plan on how to build a successful program👍

*What could have been…

-."I had people ready to go, I did. I was eager, honestly, to be a college coach. When I got fired by Tampa, I was really ticked off as you can imagine. And I went to Oregon and I spent a few days with Chip Kelly, who really was turning a corner with the college football offense, the no huddle. It was bizarre, so I learned. And then I went to Alabama with Nick Saban, and Joe Pendry was the offensive line coach, and I got to see how it worked on two different polar opposite ends. I was preparing to be a college coach.

"But I just didn't feel like doing the grind of recruiting. I didn't see that as me. I just like to sit in the lab and scheme football and coach football. I wanted to stay closer to my wheelhouse. Some days I wonder what could've been." (Courtesy AtoZ Sports)…Jon Gruden earlier this year on a podcast discussing how he almost took the University of Tennessee head coaching job in 2012-13….bring this up cause….back then one of Ron Zook’s buddies told me the former Illini head coach was going to Tennessee with Gruden to be his defensive coordinator….’yeah right’…Zook and Gruden had been at Tennessee mid-80’s…Zook defensive backs coach/Gruden grad assistant two had stayed close.

Zook was going to bring his whole gang with him….Locksley (just fired as New Mexico head coach) as offensive coordinator….Reggie Mitchell as running backs coach…called my buddy Eric Wolford (then Youngstown State head coach) telling him, ‘come with us will make you the highest paid o-line coach in college football’ at that time….Zook probably bringing his coaching caddy Mike Woodford to Knoxville with him……plan all in place till Gruden’s brother Jay talked him out of it…convincing his older brother…..’you really don’t want to fuckin’ recruit’…oh what could have been.