Just over two months ago, Illinois addressed a glaring need at quarterback. After losing its senior signal caller in Luke Altmyer, it needed a big boost. The Illini found it in senior Katin Houser.

Now, after being with the program for the last eight weeks, Houser is settling in. He’s getting used to the facilities, meeting with coaches and, most importantly, he’s already building strong bonds with his teammates.

Just from talking with the new receivers, seniors Alex Perry, Jayshon Platt and Ty Robinson, it seems like Houser has confidently stepped into a leadership role.

“You can tell he has that inside fire in him, that dog in him,” Perry said of his new quarterback. “His leadership is a big part of what made me want to come here and what gets me excited every day to throw with him.”

Platt and Robinson voiced similar thoughts, citing Houser’s leadership as part of the reason they were drawn to Illinois. Despite Houser just joining the program, he’s quickly become a respected leader.

It all starts with his mindset. While Houser — and much of the roster — are new, they still hold to the same standard that the Illini have set the past few years. They want to win. The quarterback felt like Illinois gave him that opportunity.

“I just want to be part of a winning culture,” Houser said. “I want to be around guys that are like-minded like me, that want to go win. And I feel like I found that here. So that was the main goal for me in the portal, and I think I found that here.”

Another reason Houser chose the Illini was to improve his draft stock, something that Illini fans of the past might find hard to believe. Houser put up 3,300 passing yards and 19 touchdowns last season at East Carolina. The Big Ten is a big step up, but Houser thinks it will be positive for his future.

While Illinois isn’t a quarterback factory, pumping out pro players every year, it has helped its last two quarterbacks find their way to the league. Tommy DeVito signed as an undrafted free agent in 2023, and now Altmyer is on his way to the NFL.

“I want to live up to that standard,” Houser said. “I want to be where they’re at too, and that’s motivating for me because I’ve seen them do it.”

Houser has plenty of role models to look to during his final season of college ball. In fact, he’s already leaning on the outgoing senior for advice. Altmyer has been around the building, and Houser has been picking his brain.

Altmyer was in the same spot as Houser when he first joined the Illini. The senior transferred in from Ole Miss after his sophomore season. He experienced the same transition that Houser is going through right now.

While Altmyer has been gearing up for his pro day, he’s also been helping Houser learn the new offense. Houser said it’s been helpful to pick Altmyer’s brain on the more specific details.

“He’s awesome; he’s been helping me in my transition, and if I have questions, I call him, and he’s been answering right away and mentoring me in that aspect,” Houser said about Altmyer. “I feel like we came from similar offenses, so kind of asking some Xs and Os questions with him … He’s been a huge help for me in my transition.”

While Houser’s been practicing the mental side of the game, he’s been working on the physical side too. It’s still early, but Houser certainly seems to have the arm talent to go along with his strong leadership. His new wide receivers certainly think so. 

“Katin has a great deep ball,” Perry said. “He puts great touch on it and puts it where it needs to be for sure.”

“As soon as I’m out of the break, the ball’s right there,” Platt said.

“Oh man, he can grip it, and he can rip it,” Robinson said. “We’ve been throwing a lot this offseason, just getting ready for spring ball, trying to get the timing and everything down. I’m really excited to see what we can do this year.”

The passing attack was a huge part of the offense with Altmyer under center. It seems like Houser should slot right in and pick up where his predecessor left off.

The new signal caller can get it done on the ground, too. Just like Altmyer, Houser knows how to tuck the ball and escape the pocket. He found the endzone nine times on the ground last season. He still considers himself a pass-first quarterback, despite his ability to scramble.

“I’d rather throw the ball, but if I have to, I will,” Houser said with a smile. “I’ll go through every one of my reads, I’ll make sure everyone else is covered, and if I have to, I’ll take off. I don’t mind it.”

However, Perry isn’t buying it. He overheard Houser’s take on his rushing ability and disagrees with it.

“He says that he doesn’t want to run the ball, but he looks like one of those people that’ll take a hit for the team,” Perry said with a laugh.

Whether he does or doesn’t take that hit remains to be seen. As the fall looms closer, though, it seems like the Illini have found their guy. Following in his predecessor’s footsteps won’t be easy, but Houser appears to have the skills — both physical and mental — to hit the ground running.

@ben_some16

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