Illinois Football Recruiting Thread

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#451      
The only potential problem I see with this is that he has 3 years and not 1 or 2. If he has 1 year or even 2, it would allow Swanson to get his feet wet and be ready to start his junior year. As is, assuming Altmyer wins the job and plays ok, you probably lose Swanson after his freshman year because he is not waiting until his senior year to be a starter. Maybe I am wrong but that clearly has not been the pattern with quarterbacks in this new portal world.
The portal should change names to ...FREE AGENT DIVISION. PLACE YOUR BIDS.
 
#452      

ChiefGritty

Chicago, IL
these things usually have a way of working out okay - lets get thru next year first
Correct. If you're ever in a position where you're left with a totally empty field at the QB position, all of a sudden you're one of the most appealing destinations in a QB carousel that will never run out of riders.

Not to denigrate the positive momentum around our team or the recruiting efforts of Bielema and Lunney, but Altmyer would not be here if he didn't have a wide open red carpet for the permanent starting job to walk onto, that's the selling point.

The battles for backup jobs become critical in this new world. One of Leary and Swanson will not be on this team in 2024. We will be in the market for a "QB of the future" prep recruit in the next class. If we're successful, the Leary-Swanson winner won't be here in 2025.

These are all correct, rational decisions. The thing you have to make sure of to win this game is that IF Cal Swanson demonstrates in practice that he's THE guy, you have to clear the field for him.

Nick Saban benching Hurts for Tua was the future, as unusual Nick Saban innovations tend to be.
 
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#453      

Mr. Tibbs

southeast DuPage
with the unlimited transfer portal , and it will be officially unlimited one day soon , the quarterback carousel part of it is just like free agency in MLB in the 1970's
 
#455      
with the unlimited transfer portal , and it will be officially unlimited one day soon , the quarterback carousel part of it is just like free agency in MLB in the 1970's
Pretty dramatically different than free agency because you don't have contracts.

I think the ideal is to have a guy taking snaps for at least two years, maybe 3. Endless carouseling is not a recipe for having stellar seasons. The biggest problem is when the guy who earns the job is just okay and the backup in waiting has a lot of potential.

I'd look at the Packers with Aaron Rodgers and Brett Favre. Plenty of indications early that they should dump Favre and give Rodgers a chance. But it would have been tough to bench Favre. If this was today's college environment, with no contracts, Rodgers takes off after his second season and grabs a starting job with another team.
 
#456      

Mr. Tibbs

southeast DuPage
I think the ideal is to have a guy taking snaps for at least two years, maybe 3. Endless carouseling is not a recipe for having stellar seasons. The biggest problem is when the guy who earns the job is just okay and the backup in waiting has a lot of potential.
we'll maybe see guys on a roster for 3 years, but fairly doubtful hes starting for three years.
very very few guys start or get many snaps freshmen year - pretty rare - Trevor Lawrence rare. Caleb Williams rare

if they are really any good after their third year on the roster, (2 years playing) - they leave for the pros
we wont see guys like Nate or KIttner anymore. was a different era.
 
#457      
we'll maybe see guys on a roster for 3 years, but fairly doubtful hes starting for three years.
very very few guys start or get many snaps freshmen year - pretty rare - Trevor Lawrence rare. Caleb Williams rare

if they are really any good after their third year on the roster, (2 years playing) - they leave for the pros
we wont see guys like Nate or KIttner anymore. was a different era.
We're facing a three year starter on Monday aren't we?
 
#459      
The only potential problem I see with this is that he has 3 years and not 1 or 2. If he has 1 year or even 2, it would allow Swanson to get his feet wet and be ready to start his junior year. As is, assuming Altmyer wins the job and plays ok, you probably lose Swanson after his freshman year because he is not waiting until his senior year to be a starter. Maybe I am wrong but that clearly has not been the pattern with quarterbacks in this new portal world.
I agree with you, but it's also not been the pattern for QB's to play three full years uninjured.
 
#461      

mhuml32

Cincinnati, OH
I'll assume that Johnson offer means Pearl is moving on. Johnson is getting a lot of offers so the only way that Illinois would be appealing is if they are offering a great shot at starting.
 
#463      

mhuml32

Cincinnati, OH
In case there are doubters about the transfer portal or people wanting the late 20th century college model back, let's use the quarterback position at Illinois as an example on why it's a boon for programs like our beloved. Here are the likely starting QBs if Illinois only used home-grown options that were available post-Scheelhaase:

2014: Riley O'Toole (senior)
2015: Chayce Crouch (freshman) or Jimmy Fitzgerald (freshman)
2016: Chayce Crouch (sophomore) or Jeff George Jr. (freshman)
2017: Chayce Crouch (junior) or Jeff George Jr. (sophomore)
2018: MJ Rivers (freshman) or Matt Robinson (freshman)
2019: Matt Robinson (sophomore)
2020: Matt Robinson or Coran Taylor (COVID year)
2021: Deuce Spann (freshman) or Samari Collier (freshman)
2022: Ryan Johnson (senior) or Donovan Leary (freshman)

The program hasn't had a single scholarship quarterback reach their senior year of eligibility at Illinois after signing with Illinois since O'Toole. The earliest that streak can be broken will be 2026. Going from this list, easy to see that Illinois has done a poor job of identifying and recruiting a meaningful prep quarterback. Things will get a lot easier if Leary or Swanson break the streak but, until then, there are worse things than bringing in guys in transfer options. Say what you want about Lunt, Bush, Peters, Sitkowski, TDV, and now Altmyer, but they are lot better than the list above.
 
#465      
Going from this list, easy to see that Illinois has done a poor job of identifying and recruiting a meaningful prep quarterback.
I think the big lesson here is less about the portal and more about how thankful we ought to be to have a competent staff here, from recruiting to player development to game coaching.

I believe that we'll have success finding and developing preps under BB. Thankful the portal has gotten us through two years, and perhaps the upcoming season as well.
 
#466      
Solid get for the staff. Stress relieving to have the starting QB in place, especially one with multiple years of eligibility.
I like what i’ve seen of the qb we recruited this year. Maybe a year as an understudy and he’ll be ready by 2024?
 
#467      
The whole western division will be filled with Gun Slingers next year. Illinois, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Iowa, Purdue. The Big is not only stacked with new coaches but new q.b.'s. Can't help but feel that NIL and the new t.v. deal-conference expansion is helping to fuel more competition and at a higher level. Imagine USC, UCLA, and possibly Oregon and Washington. That would be insane.
I’m fine with Oregon and Washington joining, since we would retain our #1 slot big ten team alphabetically.
 
#469      
I’m fine with Oregon and Washington joining, since we would retain our #1 slot big ten team alphabetically.
I've thought about this and technically wouldn't UCLA be ahead of us? I know people refer to us simply as "Illinois" and no one ever calls them "California at Los Angeles" but when taking the full name of the school into account they'd supplant us.
 
#470      
I still feel like we are sleeping a lil bit on Michaux. Kid led a powerhouse TX HS program, which is saying something, was told to basically earn his way back into football and took the opportunity. Shouldn't underestimate that kind of drive.
We are sleeping on him, he's a walk-on qb at Illinois
 
#472      
jedi GIF

Welcome aboard Luke!
Luke! I'm not your father!
 
#473      

BZuppke

Plainfield
I've thought about this and technically wouldn't UCLA be ahead of us? I know people refer to us simply as "Illinois" and no one ever calls them "California at Los Angeles" but when taking the full name of the school into account they'd supplant us.
No. We’re first. Period.
 
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