Illinois QB Luke Altmyer Believes Best Moments Are Ahead Of Him

Zachary Draves | Sep 21, 2024

Sep 20, 2024; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini quarterback Luke Altmyer (9) drops to throw against Nebraska Cornhuskers linebacker MJ Sherman (48) during the first quarter at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-Imagn Images / Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

Luke Altmyer says his greatest moments are coming after the Fighting Illini defeated Nebraska 31-24 on Friday.

He cites his journey from where he was a year ago to where he is now.

"I think my greatest moments are ahead of me and in life are not because of [Friday]," Altmyer said. "It's because of the failures and the disappointments of last year and throughout my college career. It's propelled me to where I am now."

Altmyer is off to a strong start. He has already accumulated 862 passing yards along with 10 touchdowns with a 71 percent pass completion rate as the Fighting Illini are off to a 4-0 start.

He had 215 passing yards and four touchdowns against Nebraska along with a 77.8 percent pass completion rate.

There were expectations for Altmyer to turn the corner from last year where his performance was largely viewed as unspectacular. Now in his second year as starting quarterback, Altmyer says he has reached a place where he feels more equipped to handle the pressure than ever before.

"I feel really even keel," Altmyer said. "I feel in control of what I'm doing. I feel it's only going to keep growing moving forward. I'm really thankful for my brothers, my teammates, my coaches who have helped keep pushing me to new levels."

Zachary Draves is a contributor to Illinois Fighting Illini On SI. He can be reached at zdraves1013@gmail.com and on Instagram @zdraves0633.

Follow our coverage and updates on Facebook

X: @IlliniNowOnSI