What can we expect from Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer?

Illinois started 3-0 and has climbed to 24th place before facing No. 22 Nebraska on Friday night at Memorial Stadium.

The Illini are led by junior quarterback Luke Altmyer, who is in his second season with the team after spending two years as a backup at Ole Miss. Dylan Raiola, a real sensation among freshmen, quarterbacks the Huskers' powerful offense. But what kind of quarterback will the Huskers have to face Altmyer and Illinois?

Altmyer began his career at Ole Miss and head coach Lane Kiffin. He spent two years as a reserve player at Oxford and never had a serious chance of becoming a regular, so he decided he needed a change of scenery. And so he played for Bret Bielema and Illinois. So far, his time with the Fighting Illini has been marked by ups and downs.

In the 2023 season, he threw for 1,883 yards and 13 touchdowns, but also had ten interceptions. It wasn't the kind of season Illinois needed from its starting quarterback, and they finished 5-7 as a result. But this year has been different so far. After a 1-2 start last season, the Fighting Illini are now 3-0, and Altmyer looks much more relaxed.

Altmyer has passed for 647 yards and six touchdowns in three games, with no interceptions. Last year, he had seven interceptions and just three touchdowns at this point. In the Fighting Illini's 23-17 win over Kansas, Altmyer passed for 192 yards, with no touchdowns or interceptions. That statistic is indicative of the type of player he has become: a game manager who may not win the game for his team, but hopefully won't lose it either.

It's very unlikely that Altmyer can help Illinois win this game on Friday with dynamic moves with his arm or leg. He'll have to avoid mistakes to give his team the best chance of winning. But that might not be enough for the Fighting Illini to beat this Nebraska team.

MORE: Four Huskers on national volleyball players of the year list

MORE: Nebraska's new crop of Floridians could change Husker recruiting numbers in the Sunshine State

MORE: Dave Feit: 400 Husker sellouts in 40 statistics

MORE: Nebraska Football Preview: No. 24 Illinois

MORE: How mental toughness helped Nebraska Volleyball beat No. 2 Stanford

Stay up to date with all things Huskers by bookmarking Nebraska Cornhuskers on SIsubscribe to HuskerMax on YouTubeand visit HuskerMax.com daily.