Commit: Illini Land ECU QB Katin Houser

Coach Bret Bielema and Illinois have enjoyed the advantage of having one of the nation's top quarterbacks over the past two seasons, Luke Altmyer. In his second and third seasons as the Illini's starting quarterback, Luke Altmyer led Illinois to a couple of their best seasons in school history. Illinois had never won 9+ games in consecutive seasons until this season, and the Starkville native under center was the main reason why. While this ride the past three seasons have been unforgettable for all Illini faithful, it is time to move on and get ready for the 2026 season.

In this day and age, there is no offseason for collegiate athletics, especially football. The transfer portal officially opened on January 2nd. Every coaching staff in America is scrambling to fill all the gaps in their roster in a very short time. In the chaos of it all, Illinois has landed their QB1 for the 2026 campaign, Katin Houser. The 4 star recruit out of high school began his career at Michigan State under the disastrous Mel Tucker experiment. Houser was thrown into fire as a redshirt freshman, where he struggled. Katin decided to take a step down into the American Conference as the signal caller for the East Carolina Pirates. `Over the past two seasons, Houser has grown tremendously. This past season, he passed for 3,300 yards and 19 touchdowns and also contributed 193 yards and nine touchdowns rushing. Over his two years as the Pirates' quarterback, he guided them to consecutive eight-win seasons. With one year of eligibility remaining, Illini fans should expect a quarterback not afraid to let it fly and do whatever it takes to keep up the momentum within this football program.