More comfortable entering Year Two, Illini QB Luke Altmyer 'cutting it loose in all areas on the field'
Luke Altmyer is trying to take lessons from his first season as a starter to catapult him to a better Year Two at Illinois

CHAMPAIGN — Of course, Luke Altmyer didn't like getting benched late last season, especially when his play didn't really deserve a demotion. After all, he finished fifth in the Big Ten in passing efficiency (131.9) and fourth in the Big Ten in passing yards per game (209.2) and first among Big Ten quarterbacks in scramble yards (267).

But when a concussion knocked Altmyer out for the final drive against Minnesota and the next week's game against Indiana, backup John Paddock made so much of his opportunity — leading a game-winning drive at Minnesota and throwing for 507 passing yards and four touchdowns in an overtime win against Indiana — that the Illinois staff felt it had no choice but to ride the hot hand.

But that poured some cold water on the end of Altmyer's first season as a Power Five starting quarterback. But to Altmyer's credit, he tried to learn something while he was forced to watch the final few games from a different perspective. 

Though they were very supportive of each other last season, Altmyer and Paddock are pretty different. Altmyer looks the part at 6-foot-2, 200 pounds, has a whip of an arm and showed last season that he is a heck of an athlete, leading Big Ten quarterbacks in scramble yards. But he's more of an understated introvert, more of a lead-by-example guy. Paddock, meanwhile, looks more like a second baseman than a Big Ten quarterback at 5-foot-10, 195 pounds, but he oozes confidence and outward leadership. Paddock, a sixth-year senior last season, also just had a lot more experience than Altmyer, in life and on the field after starting for Ball State during the 2022 season.

So what did Altmyer learn from Paddock, who completed 73 of 120 passes (60.8%) for 1,141 yards (9.5 per attempt), eight touchdowns and three interceptions during his final four games?

"He was such a unique character, such a unique individual with the way he led, the way he played, and I learned a lot being on the sideline, watching him play and watching how he cut it loose," Altmyer said. "Watching how he kind of had a unique mentality to his approach to the game and the kind of confidence he exuded was really unique. I think a lot of times there was moments where I was afraid to make mistakes, and when I watched John, you kind of feel that kind of loose energy that he brings to it. He's not really thinking about those mistakes. He's really playing to be the best, he was playing to win — not saying I wasn't — but you could really feel that coming from him. You learn so much from my perspective on the sideline and watching that, and I'm so excited to take that perspective and put it into action coming in the fall."

While Altmyer has physical advantages over Paddock, the Illini staff is pushing Altmyer to process more like Paddock. Illinois offensive coordinator Barry Lunney Jr.'s main buzzwords about Altmyer's next steps in development are decisiveness, urgency and assertiveness.

Altmyer didn't get much help from his offensive line last season, and he was the most sacked quarterback in the Big Ten last season (34 sacks, eight more than the next highest). But some of those were on Altmyer, whose average time to throw (2.76 seconds) ranked 10th among 19 Big Ten quarterbacks with at least 135 dropbacks last season. PFF says Altymer has some responsibility for seven of those sacks.

Meanwhile, Paddock led all Big Ten quarterbacks with the quickest time to throw (2.40 seconds). While Altmyer seemed to wait for his receivers to come open before throwing it, Paddock threw his receivers open or trusted them to make a contested catch in traffic, particularly Casey Washington, who had 22 of his 49 receptions, 375 of his 670 receiving yards and all four of his touchdowns during Paddock's three starts during the final three games.

Altmyer (64.8%, 1,883 yards, 13 TDs, 10 INTs) seemed to sling it around during his first few games, but that led to seven interceptions during his first three games including a four-interception performance in a loss to Penn State. He cut down on turnovers during his final six starts, completing 65.4% of his passes for 1,312 yards, 10 touchdowns and three interceptions, while using his legs as a weapon. But now Lunney is trying to blend Altmyer's improved ball security with quicker and more decisive processing as a passer.

"I think he's been much more decisive," Lunney told Illini Inquirer. "Listen, I think he's got even more confidence in what he's doing and how he's doing it. That always makes you a little bit naturally more assertive. From a personality standpoint, he's not that guy who is going to go around yelling and screaming at people. The best way to lead is to do your job and do it well. That's the best way to lead. I think he's doing that right now. Very relational with the team. That's a good thing. In any of that stuff, it's always a work in progress, but I've seen growth there from him.

"This isn't coach speak. I've been really pleased with the way [the quarterbacks] have progressed. I think Luke has had a really good spring throwing the ball with accuracy and timing and is taking care of the ball really well."

Altmyer certainly sounds more comfortable. After all, this is the first time during his college career with a second year with the same offensive coordinator. At Ole Miss, he had Jeff Lebby in his first season, and after Lebby left for Oklahoma, Altmyer had co-coordinators John David Baker and Charlie Weis Jr. — under offensive head coach Lane Kiffin — for his second season in Oxford. Altmyer said he now understands more clearly what both Lunney and head coach Bret Bielema want out of a quarterback, he understands the scheme better and understands his surrounding personnel better.

"Having that comfortability of the ins and outs of our offense, the verbiage, the route detail, the protections, my footwork and things like that only gives me confidence to go out there and operate and understand really what's going on to a deeper level," Altmyer said. "I think it's just more comfortable. I mean, as you would imagine, it's like working for the same boss two years in a row I guess. But you kind of understand kind what he's wanting. You get to watch the same film and from last year and be able to kind be on the same page about different things. And I think it's such an underrated attribute and such an underrated thing to have kind of a coordinator back-to-back and have that stability. And Coach Lunney's a great coach. He helps me in so many areas, physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually, and I'm so glad that he's in my corner and I get to operate his system."

Now, Altmyer has some challenges. While the offensive line received praise throughout spring ball for its added depth, Illinois did lose its two starting tackles: Isaiah Adams and Julian Pearl, who are potential NFL Draft picks this week. The Illini also lost its two leading receivers, Washington and All-Big Ten First Team selection Isaiah Williams, so Altmyer's receivers may have some growing pains.

That's why Altmyer's spring progress and continued development into the summer is so important. After a year of learning what being a starting quarterback actually entrails — the success and the struggles —the Illini staff is now counting on Altmyer to be the steadying force and driving force of an offense that looks like the stronger side of the ball for Illinois entering a critical Year Four for Bielema after missing out on a bowl game by just one win for the second time in three seasons.

"There's so many things that I'll get better at that I'll look at and want to get better at, and I will get better at it," Altmyer said of his spring development. "But I think I'm really focused on being a great leader for this bunch, being confident, being urgent, being decisive, being assertive in what I'm doing when I come in the building. Really showing up for my teammates and being the same guy, being dependable every single day is what I'm really focused on, I think the most. 

"I mean that's kind of the deal with me being more decisive, being more urgent, being more assertive in my game, in my daily walk in this building every single day. It comes with a lot of things, comes with reps, comes with being more comfortable with what I'm doing, cutting it loose in all areas on the field and, and I'm excited to move forward and looking forward to the fall and being able to showcase that."

SOURCE: Werner, Jeremy. "More comfortable entering Year Two, Illini QB Luke Altmyer 'cutting it loose in all areas on the field'." 247Sports.com - Illiniinquire, 23 April 2024, 245https://247sports.com/college/illinois/article/luke-altmyer-spring-practice-illinois-fighting-illini-football-starting-quarterback-230841207/