As the 2025 college football season approaches, Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer finds himself at a crossroads. The former Ole Miss transfer arrived in Champaign with a chip on his shoulder. Buried on the SEC depth chart, Luke Altmyer had plenty to prove, and despite a rocky start, he showed real growth in 2023. But now, he’s not just the starting QB. He’s the leader of a reshaped offense missing two of its biggest weapons…

Just flip on any tape from the first half of last season. Wide receivers Pat Bryant and Zakhari Franklin were tearing through secondaries like it was backyard football. One moment, Bryant was dusting corners on a go route; the next, Franklin was plucking a ball out of the air between two defenders like he owned the sky. Combined, they racked up over 900 yards and seven touchdowns in just a handful of weeks and, more importantly, gave quarterback Luke Altmyer the kind of trust blanket every young QB dreams of. But then came the offseason, and the duo was gone. Bryant, chasing his NFL dream, declared early for the draft. He’s now with the Denver Broncos. Franklin, after a long battle with injuries, stepped away from the college game altogether.

In the July 23 episode of Illini Inquirer podcast, Luke Altmyer didn’t dodge the question. The topic came up as it inevitably would. No more Bryant. No more Franklin. So, who’s the go-to guy now? Altmyer said, “Just with the returners, Malik, who has incredible talent, who’s got a chance to be great for this university.” Then he added, placing the weight of expectation on one name: Malik Elzy “Just need him to take that step to be that out, you know, and he can do it. He can do it.”

Elzy’s numbers last season may not jump off the page: 4 catches for 77 yards and a touchdown in 10 games, averaging 19.3 yards per reception, but each catch was a statement. His lone touchdown? A 34-yard strike that showcased the exact explosiveness and playmaking ability Altmyer raved about. Altmyer doubled down on his belief, saying, “Malik has great abilities, man, like just, and he will do some really good things for us.”

Before turning the page, Altmyer made sure to give due respect to the ones who carried the torch last season. He didn’t mince words when talking about what Illinois lost. “I think the greatest things about Pat and Zakhari were their alpha. You know, they believed in their abilities and what they could do,” he said. Their confidence wasn’t just surface-level; it showed up in clutch moments.

“When the ball’s in the air, they knew it was theirs, and on a press man release, they knew they were going to win.” Altmyer made it clear: that level of belief is irreplaceable. “I’m going to need a dog out there. Like Pat, he was a dog, man. He was. Zakhari, too. You know, just belief in themselves.” That’s the energy the Illini offense will be hungry to replicate this fall.

How Luke Altmyer is leading a revamped Illini offense

The 2025 Illini offense is undergoing a reset. With star wide receivers Pat Bryant and Zakhari Franklin out of the scene, the passing game has lost nearly 1,636 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns from last season. Those elite playmakers combined for 984 yards and 10 touchdowns (Bryant) and 652 yards, 4 touchdowns (Franklin) in 2024 production that can’t be easily replaced. Adding to the turnover, long-time tight end Henry Boyer opted out of the program, further diminishing power in the red zone. Even the ground game faces upheaval, with lead rusher Josh McCray transferred to Georgia after a 609-yard, 10-touchdown campaign. 

Stepping through the noise are newcomers and returners who carry the possibility of rebuilding the offense’s soul. Transfer Hudson Clement brings proven production with 741 receiving yards and 5 TDs at West Virginia in 2024. Meanwhile, in-house talents like Malik Elzy, Hank Beatty, and Colin Dixon are emerging through camp, each logging notable yard-per-catch averages with 19.3 YPC, 14.7, and 14.7, respectively. Expectations now extend voice to freshman tight ends like Christian Abney and Jordan Anderson, who could help reshape the red‑zone look. And with five returning O‑linemen and portal additions like the Ayden and Nathan Knapik, the Illini enjoy more stability up front. 

In this turnover, Luke Altmyer stands out as the veteran anchor. The junior, now entering his third season as a starter, led Illinois to a 9‑3 record, threw 22 touchdowns with just five interceptions, and earned Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week honors twice. His growth has been as much mental as physical; he’s vocal in huddles, invested in chemistry-building, and holds receivers to the same alpha standard once set by Bryant and Franklin. Every player feels the weight but also the opportunity of filling those massive shoes. If Altmyer can extract confidence from youth and create leaders, Illinois won’t just survive the reset; it will thrive.