Cam Thomas has left the program

#2      

SampsonRelpenk

Edwardsville, IL
#3      

illinipioneer

Richmond, VA
Surprises me honestly. Bush is gone after this season, leaving Cam with potentially three years of eligibility to either win the starting spot or convert to another position. Oh well.

I too thought he would stick around, I'm assuming he is seeing things we aren't, either that or he knows he has an opportunity to transfer into a much better situation
 
#4      

ritster

Wheaton, IL
With the injuries at wide receiver, maybe he was asked if he would move there and got upset. I would hope not. Walter Young cash quite a few NFL paychecks by moving from QB to wide receiver
 
#5      

mhuml32

Cincinnati, OH
The timing is just so odd. Did he find out on Saturday that he wasn't going to come in if Bush struggled or became injured? Something else?
 
#6      
The hits just keep coming. Good luck, Cam.
 
#9      

the national

the Front Range
Seems like a McGee to Smith story IMO

Sucks for our present-day depth, but at this point I had assumed he would not be a QB at Illinois one way or the other by the middle of next year.

You're probably right but I would think he could adapt to the new style of play. He has enough athleticism for the new schemes. Seems like odd timing. Why didnt he leave back in Aug?
 
#10      
You're probably right but I would think he could adapt to the new style of play. He has enough athleticism for the new schemes. Seems like odd timing. Why didnt he leave back in Aug?

Total speculation but maybe one of the freshmen was formally named #2 ahead of him for the upcoming game? Your lineup order is never clearer than before an FCS opponent.

Someone said on Twitter that Thomas was warming up in the early 2nd half, like they were considering giving Bush the hook after his poor 1st. Not sure which way that cuts.
 
#11      

Dbell1981

Decatur, IL
You're probably right but I would think he could adapt to the new style of play. He has enough athleticism for the new schemes. Seems like odd timing. Why didnt he leave back in Aug?

I'm just speculating that he is falling in the depth chart. Seeing that Isaiah Williams is gonna be here next year doesn't help for future playing time. Isaiah is gonna be a perfect fit for coach Smiths offense.
 
#15      

Deleted member 29907

D
Guest
Because he hasn't played a snap, pretty sure he can just transfer down to Juco, play immediately, and then transfer wherever he wants in December and be eligible immediately for next year.
Ahhhhh, note to staff - get the rest of the QBs in for a snap...
 
#16      

Illiniaaron

Geneseo, IL
Seems like a McGee to Smith story IMO

Sucks for our present-day depth, but at this point I had assumed he would not be a QB at Illinois one way or the other by the middle of next year.
I don't think Smith would have brought in so many young qb's if he thought Thomas was the answer in any way. I too thought he would need to switch to another position or would transfer if he didn't want to.
 
#17      

Deleted member 29907

D
Guest
I don't think Smith would have brought in so many young qb's if he thought Thomas was the answer in any way. I too thought he would need to switch to another position or would transfer if he didn't want to.

Could have used him in the slot. You've got to like contact however...
 
#18      
I hope the "personal reasons" are related to the depth chart and not something more serious, like his health.
 
#19      

mhuml32

Cincinnati, OH
Because he hasn't played a snap, pretty sure he can just transfer down to Juco, play immediately, and then transfer wherever he wants in December and be eligible immediately for next year.


Wouldn't this require a junior college that hasn't started the semester? Feels like that might be a tough find.
 
#20      
Wouldn't this require a junior college that hasn't started the semester? Feels like that might be a tough find.

I don't think so. A season is a season if you play (no idea how the new redshirt rule interacts with that) but those super draconian concepts of "enrollment" for the purposes of forcing kids to sit out a year don't apply. Jucos aren't part of the NCAA, and transfers are free in both directions.

Tbh, I'm not entirely sure he wouldn't be able to play at Juco even if he had taken snaps here. Regardless, if he had I'm pretty sure he could transfer to Juco, not play, and still be eligible to transfer without penalty to a new D1 school for next year.

Juco is handy that way, more and more guys are using it as a trampoline back to D1 in lieu of a sit-out year. D1 coaches like it do because they don't have to keep dead scholarships on the roster.
 
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#21      
Could have used him in the slot. You've got to like contact however...

We all thought Aaron Bailey could have been a player at another position as well, and he could have, but usually these dudes want to prove themselves as QBs, rather than change positions. How many college QB stars have we seen go to the NFL trying to prove themselves as QBs, even though most know they won't cut it? It is what it is.
 
#22      
I heard he got mad because he was asked to switch positions. That’s the rumblings I been hearing. But don’t quote me on this.
 
#24      
I didn't think Thomas was ever going to be the answer at QB. He was athletic enough to be converted to a DB or WR, but if he doesn't want to do that then best wishes trying to be a QB at the D2 or lower level.
 
#25      
His departure isn't the end of the world for the Illini. However, the number of departures make me wonder if there isn't something deeper going on with the staff's approach to the players.