The increase of expectations and excitement for the 2025 season following a 10-win campaign is not something that Illinois coaches and players are hiding from.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

March 13, 2025

CHAMPAIGN — When preseason camp is being conducted in August, Illinois is more than likely to be ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 poll for the first time in 17 years.

And it’s not like coaches and players are walking around the Smith Family Football Complex in Champaign looking for ways to downplay the preseason excitement and hype surrounding arguably the most important prove-it season of Illini football since the 2008 campaign that followed a Rose Bowl appearance.

“We’d all be lying if we said we didn’t ask for this or want it, right? This is the position we wanted to be in. We asked for this,” Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer said. “We all talked about being put in a situation where expectations are put upon us. Is pressure is being put on us? Yes. But pressure is a privilege.”

This is a quick change in disposition for the Illini’s projected third-year starting quarterback after he was ready to lay into outside criticism he’s heard over the last two years since his arrival as a transfer to Illinois. The criticism Altmyer heard and was referencing in his Citrus Bowl post-game comments on New Year’s Eve night of course came from opposing fans but also was a culmination of what he’d heard from nervous Illini fans still waiting for the program to dip back into mediocrity after experiencing moments of success.

“I’ve had to hear all of these SEC, SEC talk and I’m just tired of this disrespect,” said Altmyer, who is from Starkville, Miss. and is a transfer from the University of Mississippi, immediately following the 21-17 win over South Carolina in the Citrus Bowl on New Year’s Eve night. “Illinois has been a disrespected program for a long time. I know that because I lived in that area and in that conference. I just don’t think that’s the case anymore.”

Whether it’s a before, during, or after a photo request, autograph request, booster gathering or seeing messages on social media, the Illinois fourth-year head coach is forced to hear about past results, losing seasons, and all of their fears that the football program may never get back to whatever era folks think was the glory portion of how they remember Illini history.

As he gathered himself to reflect on everything Illinois just accomplished in a 60-minute bowl game in Orlando and in the culmination of the entire 2024 season, Bielema took a few minutes to politely ask those who passionately follow the program for a slight behavior change: No more talk about the past. Only talk about what the future

“At Illinois we often get that well, we haven't ever done this, or they want to go back to certain times, and I always say ‘yeah, that's great’ but let's turn the page, let's move forward,” Bielema said. “I think today is a big step in that direction.”

Bielema is well aware it’s been a quarter of a century since the last time Illinois has opened a season ranked in the preseason AP poll and had a winning season (Illinois began the 2000 season ranked No. 22 and finished with a 7-5 record including a 30-0 victory over East Carolina in the Liberty Bowl). As he addressed local media on Tuesday just one day before the beginning of his program’s spring season, Bielema didn’t attempt Nick Saban-like “rat poison” comments downplaying of media attention.

“Nothing from last season carries over to this season,” Bielema said Tuesday. “Sometimes at the University of Illinois you’re better off carrying a chip on your right shoulder along with your left shoulder. We’ll never run from that mentality but I think it’s important that I keep telling our guys that our biggest opponent to success in 2025 is going to be from Illinois.”

The Illinois fourth-year head coach knows what kind of roster he has returning for the 2025 season with 18 of the projected 22 starters expected to return to Champaign-Urbana for another season of college football. And his coordinators and assistant coaches, which include a group of 15 on-field, non-position coaches either hired or promoted from within, know it too.

“For a long time Illinois people have been just okay or good with just going to bowl games or putting six wins as the baseline goal,” Illinois defensive coordinator Aaron Henry said. “That’s been put in people’s minds and that’s not how anybody in this building operates. Once you get a taste of success, that should be the expectation.”

Altmyer, a All-Big Ten selection following the 2024 season, led one of the nation's most efficient passing attacks to the No. 3 red zone offense and No. 6 scoring offense in the Big Ten Conference. Altmyer finished the regular season as one of four Power-4 quarterbacks nationally with at least 20 touchdowns and five or fewer interceptions, and ranked 33rd in the nation in passing efficiency, to lead the Illini to four top-25 wins in a single season for the third time in program history, capped by a victory over No. 14 South Carolina in the Citrus Bowl. Going into 2025, along with Penn State’s Drew Allar, Altmyer will likely be considered one of the most talented quarterbacks in the Big Ten Conference.

“The jump is what we’re looking for. That’s the word to describe this,” Illinois offensive coordinator Barry Lunney Jr. said about the 2025 development of Altmyer. “He went from point A to point B last season and now the goal is can we start out where we left off in 2024 and make another jump. I know that’s what we want, what Luke wants and what he’s excited to try and get done.”

And yet Altmyer, who will turn 23 years old in late October, admitted to “not being able to sleep much” in the evening before the Illini’s first spring practice as he leads an offensive unit that returns himself, every productive running back and all five starters on the offensive line.

“This feeling never gets old,” Altmyer said Wednesday. “It’s like a first day of school feeling or Christmas Day kind of feeling where it’s not the start of a season but it feels that way where you’re on the grass or the turf for the first time in the stadium with your teammates and coaches working toward one common goal - to get better.”