The Illinois Fighting Illini won’t just be going for their ninth win of the season Tuesday, but they’ll also be saying goodbye to one of the school’s all-time great quarterbacks.
Luke Altmyer will suit up for his final game for the Illini as they take on Tennessee in the Music City Bowl in Nashville, and he’ll do so with his place in Illinois history well secured.
Altmyer, who has already accepted an invitation to next month’s Senior Bowl, currently is tied with Juice Williams on the team’s all-time passing touchdown leaders list, with 56 scores during his three-year tenure with the squad.
He also finds himself in sixth all-time with 7,411 passing yards, and could potentially pass Jason Verduzco for fifth on the all-time list if he can throw for at least 123 yards against the Volunteers.
He’ll also be looking to join another exclusive club, as he could become just the second Illinois quarterback to win two bowl games at the school, having won the 2024 Citrus Bowl with the Illini. Nathan Scheelhaase won back-to-back bowl games with the squad, beating Baylor in the 2010 Texas Bowl and UCLA in the 2011 Fight Hunger Bowl.
Altmyer and the Illini will have to cope with the loss of several key players who opted out for the bowl game, including edge rusher Gabe Jacas, who had 43 tackles, 11 sacks and three forced fumbles in his final season before announcing he would enter the NFL Draft.
Illinois’ leading tackler Matthew Bailey, who racked up 76 on the season, also opted out for the game, as did left tackle JC Davis.
The Volunteers will also miss their leading tackler, as linebacker Arion Carter opted out of the contest. Cornerback Colton Hood, a projected first-round draft pick, will also skip the game, as will wide receiver Chris Brazzell II, who led Tennessee with 62 catches for 1,017 yards and nine touchdowns.
Kickoff between Illinois and Tennessee is set for 4:30 p.m., and the game will air on ESPN.