Why Should Illinois get a New QB?
It’s hard to think of Illinois not getting a new QB this offseason. Luke Altmyer was turnover-happy, and John Paddock will be gone next year. And every other QB on the roster will be a junior next year. And if they could not beat out Luke Altmyer last year, well, they won’t be able to this year, most likely.
So Who Should They Get In the Transfer Protal?
1. Mathew Sluka
Sluka has been a 6-foot-3 quarterback at Holy Cross for the past four years. While you may have never heard of Holy Cross, do not dismiss Sluka’s talent so fast. Sluka was rated three stars by 247sports.com and had over 3000 total yards and 20 passing touchdowns. Couple that with only five interceptions, giving you a fantastic 4-to-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio. He had over 1200 yards as a rusher; the year before, he had the same with 11 touchdowns. It has been rumored that Nebraska and Minnesota were looking into him. It would be a massive deal if Illinois could steal him from one of their rivals.
2. Dequan Finn
Finn is a 6 ft 2 205, pounds dual-threat quarterback who has been at Toledo for the past four years. Adding Finn would be a solid move for the Illini, as he and Sluka have much in common. He had 2657 yards this year, 22 touchdowns and nine interceptions. Sluka’s numbers could have been better, but Finn played much harder in the competition. Ironically, his only losses this year were to the Fighting Illini and Miami, Ohio. Adding Finn would also allow the Illini to recruit some of the weapons on that Toledo offense. So this may be a good move for them to make.
3. Kyle McCord
McCord led the Ohio State Buckeyes to an impressive 11 and 1 record this past year. But do not get me wrong, there is a reason he is in the transfer portal and not playing another year at Ohio State. The Buckeyes have fallen short of what they had expected from them in the past couple of years. They need to upgrade at quarterback this offseason, and in their eyes, McCord needs to be better. He had 3170 yards this past year and a 24 to 6 touchdown to interception ratio. He was carried mainly by his offensive weapons, which contain 1st round talent receivers Marvin Harrison Jr and Emeka Egbuka. However, this is a 4-star QB who was able to start at Ohio State, so he should easily be able to start at Illinois.
4. Tyler Van Dyke
This guy has yet to go to Illinois next year, as he should be highly sought after and have lots of interest in the portal. Being 6 foot 4 and 224 pounds, he has excellent physical makeup. He had a 71 QBR rating last season, according to ESPN.com, with over 2,700 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. He played against great competition all year and played with average best weapons. You would expect him to leap next year and have better weapons potentially on the Fighting Illini. It’s a long shot that they could land him, but you need to tell me what you think in the comments.
