CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (Chambana Today) — Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer was named to the Davey O’Brien Award watch list, released on Thursday by the Davey O’Brien Foundation.
The award is presented annually to the nation’s best college quarterback, and is the oldest and most prestigious national quarterback award. It honors candidates who exemplify Davey O’Brien’s enduring character while exhibiting teamwork, sportsmanship, and leadership in both academics and athletics.
The last three winners of the award were Miami’s Cam Ward, LSU’s Jayden Daniels, and TCU’s Max Duggan.
Altmyer is one of 36 players named on the preseason watch list ahead of the 2025 season, which is comprised of the top returning quarterbacks in college football. The list is compiled by a subset of the Davey O’Brien National Selection Committee based on previous Division I career player performance as well as expectations heading into the upcoming season.
Altmyer was also named to the 2025 preseason watch lists for the Walter Camp Player of the Year and the Maxwell Award. He is the first Fighting Illini player to be named to the Davey O’Brien preseason watch list since Nathan Scheelhaase in 2012.
Altmyer and the Fighting Illini will kick off their season at home in just over three weeks against the Western Illinois Leathernecks. Kickoff at Memorial Stadium will be at 6:30 p.m., and the game will be broadcast on Peacock.
