The Illinois Fighting Illini last won a Big Ten football championship in 2001 thanks to future NFL stars on both sides of the ball in eventual Pro Bowl wide receiver Brandon Lloyd and two-time Super Bowl champion cornerback Eugene Wilson.
The quarterback Fighting Illini fans hope will bring them back to that stage was born less than a year and also well over 500 miles south from that triumphant moment.
Where did Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer play in high school, and how did he end up in Champaign?
Where Did Luke Altmyer Play in High School?
William Luke Altmyer was born on Oct. 22, 2002, to parents Betsy and Chad Altmyer in Starkville, Mississippi. Chad, an orthopedic surgeon board-certified as both a sports medicine specialist and a foot and ankle specialist, was formerly the team orthopedic surgeon for Mississippi State.
Altmyer threw for over 3,000 yards as a junior at Starkville High School, totaling 37 touchdown passes and just five interceptions. He still holds the school’s single-game passing record with 426 yards against Germantown.
That season-long performance landed him a spot at the Elite 11 camp, and the Clarion Journal later named him a member of the 2020 Mississippi Dandy Dozen as he swiftly became a highly sought-after high school prospect.
Altmyer was rated as a four-star prospect by all major recruiting sites and was selected as a top-five player in the state of Mississippi by 247Sports, Rivals, and ESPN. He earned scholarship offers from dozens of Division I programs, including Alabama, LSU, Florida State, and of course, nearby Mississippi State.
Prior to his senior season, Altmyer chose to commit to Florida State but eventually flipped to Ole Miss and head coach Lane Kiffin, becoming a prized member of the Rebels’ 2021 recruiting class.
Altmyer saw limited playing time as a freshman behind starter Matt Corral until an injury during the first quarter of the Sugar Bowl against Baylor thrust him into significant action. He completed 15 of 28 passes for 174 yards and his first career touchdown pass.
In 2022, with Corral off to the NFL, Altmyer competed but lost a starting quarterback battle against USC transfer Jaxson Dart. Following the conclusion of the season, he decided to transfer out of Ole Miss and chose Illinois and head coach Bret Bielema.
Altmyer Transfers From Ole Miss to Illinois
Altmyer was named Illinois’ starter prior to the 2023 season opener against Toledo and appeared in nine games for the Fighting Illini. He was key to their success as Illinois was 4-1 in his starts, where his passing efficiency rating was 135 or greater, compared to 0-4 in starts where his passing efficiency rating was under that threshold.
After starting and defeating Eastern Illinois, No. 19 Kansas, and Central Michigan to start the 2024 season, Altmyer has the Illini at 3-0 with a top-20 win for the first time in 50 years.
He’s completed over 69% of his passes to go along with six touchdowns and zero interceptions thus far. Illinois now enters its toughest test of the season against No. 22 Nebraska.
Along with his journey from Starkville to Champaign, Altmyer appears to be paving a path north. Another former Starkville High School quarterback recruit, Trey Petty, spurned offers from Mississippi State, among others, to commit to Illinois as a freshman in 2023.
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