Illinois head coach Bret Bielema gets asked about Tennessee trying to swipe his QB ahead of facing the Vols in the Music City Bowl
The Illinois head coach addressed rumors Tennessee tried to lure Luke Altmyer away during the offseason.
When quarterback Nico Iamaleava left the Tennessee Vols near the end of spring practice, it forced UT to quickly look for a new quarterback.
The Vols eventually landed quarterback Joey Aguilar as a transfer addition. Aguilar left UCLA once Iamaleava announced he was joining the Bruins’ roster.
Before Tennessee landed Aguilar, it reportedly targeted Illinois starting quarterback Luke Altmyer.
“The importance of Illinois retaining its starting quarterback after a strong spring push from Tennessee can’t be understated…After public speculation he might transfer for his final year of eligibility, Altmyer announced in December he would return to the team,” wrote ESPN’s Heather Dinich in April. “He did it again in April, following the drama at Tennessee.”
Altmyer said it was a “difficult decision” to pass on the SEC.
“It was a difficult decision, but I know what’s important,” said Altmyer to On3 in June. “I know what is being created here, and the trust, unity, and the connection that I have amongst my teammates, this community, and my coaches. The success is waiting for me here. It’d be foolish to pick up and start over and take a risk when I have a lot of trust that’s been earned and built.”
Illinois head coach Bret Bielema gets asked about Tennessee trying to swipe Luke Altmyer ahead of facing the Vols in the Music City Bowl
Illinois will face Tennessee later this month in the Music City Bowl in Nashville.
Ahead of that matchup, Illinois head coach Bret Bielema was asked about the Vols’ pursuit of Altmyer.
Bielema revealed that he’s never spoken with Altmyer about the transfer rumors.
“Honestly, I’ve never spoken about that conversation in any way, shape or form with Luke,” said Bielema on Sunday. “One of the things that I’ve really appreciated about Luke’s demeanor and his personality is that he’s just the same guy every day. And to get one more game with him and to have an SEC opponent for him is really pretty cool.
“I know that he’s grown up in the SEC world down there. To start his career at Ole Miss and to go out of here as one of the most decorated players in Illinois football history, but more than that, he just stands for all these great things here at Illinois. And I think to have that moment with him is probably the thing I’ll cherish more than anything.”
Bielema also praised Vols head coach Josh Heupel as a “gifted play-caller” while speaking to reporters on Sunday.
“Josh is just an incredibly gifted play-caller,” said Bielema. “And what they do offensively — obviously, their quarterback has put up some ridiculous numbers. They have a couple of receivers, and they have a running back (DeSean Bishop) that has run for close to 1,000 (yards). Defensively, a year ago, they were statistically one of the best in the country. I know things fell off a little this year statistically, but still a very opportunistic group.”
Tennessee and Illinois will kick off in Nashville on Dec. 30 at 5:30 p.m. ET.
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