Newton, Randolph, and Barnes post-practice on Thursday.

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2. Dequan Finn, Toledo​

Finn is one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks in any Group of Five conference.

Finn was second in the MAC with 23 touchdown passes to go with 2,260 yards through the air. He also completed 60% of his passes while throwing 12 interceptions.

Finn was fourth in the conference with 240.9 yards per game of total offense as he was ninth among all players with 631 rushing yards – a school record for quarterbacks – and nine touchdowns. He was offensive MVP in the Boca Raton Bowl and MAC Championship.

For his career, Finn has recorded 4,417 yards, 41 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions through the air and 1,277 yards and 18 touchdowns on the ground. The 6-2, 210-pound junior might be even better in 2023.

I'm talking to Kaden tonight and should have a front page story.

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CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Illinois head coach BretBielema named Luke Altmyer the Fighting Illini's starting quarterback, Bielema announced at his press conference Monday. Altmyer will take over at quarterback when Illinois opens the 2023 season on Sept. 2 against Toledo at Memorial Stadium.

Altmyer transferred to Illinois in January after two seasons at Ole Miss. He played in five games at Mississippi and transferred to the Illini with three years of eligibility remaining.

"We'll announce today Luke Altmyer will be our starting quarterback going into the Toledo game," Bielema said. "Last spring through this fall, I've been very impressed with the quarterback room in general. To have Barry (Lunney Jr.) back as a returning coordinator but also our QB coach, I think he's brought a lot of continuity to that room, even though we have new faces.

"I've been very impressed by not just Luke's play on the football field, but how he's handled things. To walk into this environment, to have a lot of people from the outside world think he's going to be that guy, to stand in front of his team and give cadence as a quarterback to speak in the huddle but also on the sideline and in the locker room, he's really done a nice job of balancing all that."

Altmyer was 28-for-54 passing (51.9%) for 317 yards and three touchdowns during his time at Ole Miss. 247Sports ranked him as the No. 10 transfer quarterback in the nation heading into 2023.

The Starkville, Mississippi, product was a highly touted recruit out of Starkville High School. He was a unanimous four-star recruit, the No. 116 recruit in the nation by ESPN, the No. 11 pro-style quarterback in the nation by Rivals, an Elite 11 finalist, and a 2021 Under Armour All-American. His prep career included over 4,600 yards combined in his junior and senior seasons and 53 touchdown passes.

Illinois' passing game was among the most improved in the nation a year ago with transfer quarterback Tommy DeVito, who is now with the New York Giants. Illinois ranked third in the nation in completion percentage (69.6%), an 18.4% improvement year-over-year and a jump of 119 spots in the national rankings. DeVito, who transferred from Syracuse for one year in Champaign, set career highs in completions (257), passing yards (2,650), completion percentage (69.6%), passing efficiency (141.22), and rushing touchdowns (6), under first-year offensive coordinator Barry Lunney Jr.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The 2023 weekly radio edition of the Coach Bret Bielema Show presented by Bud Light will air on Wednesdays of game week throughout the season and will be broadcast live at Papa Del's at 7 p.m. CT. The show will air on the 50+-station Busey Bank Illini Sports Network, beginning with the debut on Wednesday, Aug. 30.

The show will be hosted by the Voice of the Fighting Illini Brian Barnhart. Fans are encouraged to join Coach Bielema and Barnhart at Papa Del's or listen live to ask questions in-person or via social media.

Radio shows will not take place during the team's bye week and Coach Bielema will not be present at Papa Del's on the Wednesday prior to the Illini's Friday night games against Kansas or Nebraska due to scheduling complications.

ABOUT THE BUSEY BANK ILLINI SPORTS NETWORK

Busey Bank Illini Sports Network is managed by Fighting Illini Sports Properties and encompasses all sponsorship and operational elements. Programming includes Illinois football, men's and women's basketball, volleyball, and baseball.

COACH BIELEMA SHOW SCHEDULE

Wednesday, August 30 – Papa Del's 7 p.m. CT
No in-person show on September 6 due to Friday game
Wednesday, September 13 – Papa Del's 7 p.m. CT
Wednesday, September 20 – Papa Del's 7 p.m. CT
Wednesday, September 27 – Papa Del's 7 p.m. CT
No in-person show on October 4 due to Friday game
Wednesday, October 11 – Papa Del's 7 p.m. CT
Wednesday, October 18 – Papa Del's 7 p.m. CT
Wednesday, November 1 – Papa Del's 7 p.m. CT
Wednesday, November 8 – Papa Del's 7 p.m. CT
Wednesday, November 15 – Papa Del's 7 p.m. CT
Wednesday, November 22 – Papa Del's 7 p.m. CT

Sorry if this is late, but I just read the notebook and saw a picture of Newton in a uniform I had not seen before. Love the helmet. Love the white numbers on the blue top. But I'm kind of turned off by the stripes on the shoulders. Has this been discussed? And I looked online a little it and didn't see an alternate uniform. Are we done for good with the "Galloping Ghost." version? Ha.


Illini fan in Minnesota, where it's rumored that P.J. Fleck has a $2 million budget for uniforms.

I was looking through some old Rivals profiles and Daxon’s intrigued me.

He’s Bahamian and moved to Florida during high school.

He offers from Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Nebraska, Georgia Tech…. yet ended up at Ohio U. How did that happen?

His FI bio says he was an honor roll student so grades didn’t appear the cause. Was he injured at some point and schools started stepping away?

If you told me a 5.7 3* 305lb NG with that offer list was committing to UI tomorrow I’d be ecstatic.

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What are your 3-4 keys to the season?

I’ll have a front page story on my keys this week.

A quick FYI

Classes started at UI today. Good time to bring back our Fighting Illini Today feature, which essentially covers what's going on with non-revenue sports.

Look for the first one on Tues or Wed. We have volleyball media availability on Tuesday. The Illini season opener is at Northern Illinois on Saturday, Aug. 26.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- The Illinois football team named six captains for the 2023 season: OL Isaiah Adams, LB Tarique Barnes, DT Jer'Zhan Newton, DT Keith Randolph Jr., TE Tip Reiman, and WR Isaiah Williams. The captains were determined following a player vote.

OL Isaiah Adams
Adams enters his senior season as a mainstay on the Illini offensive line, after starting all 13 games as a junior for the Orange and Blue last season. The 2023 Outland Trophy watch list honoree led the team with 120.5 knockdowns, helping the Illini offensive line unit earn recognition as semifinalists for the Joe Moore Award.

LB Tarique Barnes
Barnes heads into his fifth year with the Illini and takes on his second season as a captain with the Orange and Blue. An All-Big Ten honorable-mention selection in 2022, Barnes started all 13 games last year while totaling 46 tackles and 8.5 tackles for loss.

DT Jer'Zhan Newton
Newton, a consensus All-Big Ten and All-America honoree in 2022, enters his fourth year in Champaign and his first as a captain. Named a Big Ten Preseason Watch List honoree, Newton also has been named to the Walter Camp Player of Year, Nagurski, Lombardi, and Bednarik watch lists ahead of the 2023 campaign after registering 62 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, and 5.5 sacks last year.

DT Keith Randolph Jr.
Randolph, a 2022 All-Big Ten third-team honoree, will serve as captain for the first time in his fifth year with the program. Starting all 13 games at defensive tackle and recording 53 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, and one interception last season, Randolph was named to the Bednarik, Lombardi, Nagurski, and Outland 2023 preseason watch lists.

TE Tip Reiman
Reiman returns as the Illini's starting tight end as a junior in 2023. A Mackey Award watch list selection, Reiman started 13 games for the team in 2022, tallying 17 catches for 174 yards and hauling in one receiving touchdown.

WR Isaiah Williams
Williams, a former quarterback turned All-Big Ten wide receiver, was also selected as a team captain in 2022 and started all 13 games while leading the team in receptions (82), yards (715), and receiving touchdowns (5). He enters 2023 on the preseason watch lists for both the Wuerffel and the Maxwell Awards.

CB Tahveon Nicholson
CB Tyler Strain
NB/Star Xavier Scott
SS Demetrius Hill
FS Miles Scott

Bret Bielema had his first Monday press conference today. He named Luke Altmyer staring quarterback, updated the depth chart, etc.

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A look at some true freshmen who could make an impact this season:

Link to the front page story.

Post your questions for an Illini football mailbag.