Luke Altmyer ends Illini career in poetic fashion

Illini quarterback Luke Altmyer played his final game in the Orange and Blue at the 2025 Music City Bowl in Nashville. The Mississippi native has had a decorated career at Illinois, highlighted by perseverance, faith, and progression.

Luke finished the Music City Bowl with 196 yards through the air, as well as a touchdown to Justin Bowick. His final game as an Illini ironically mirrored his first game in Champaign, back in 2023. Altmyer held steady throughout the entire game and helped set his team up for a game-winning field goal from David Olano for the 30-28 go-ahead.

Afterward, Altmyer met with the media and reflected on what has been a fun three years in Champaign for the Fighting Illini.

Luke Altmyer Reflects

During his time with the media, Altmyer was asked if, in his opinion, he could have written a better ending to his career as an Illini. For the FBS leader in game-winning drives (7) to lead Illinois to one final dramatic finish in Nashville felt extremely fitting — almost perfect.

For Altmyer, the moment was simply a reflection of everything that led up to it.

When asked if he could have written a better ending, Altmyer replied, “No, not really. Being from Mississippi, and just the way everything has unfolded over these last three years, I’m just very grateful. I’ve really come to understand what’s most important in life — love, relationships, and the people I get to do this with. We’re a bunch of underdogs, and we do things the right way. We care about each other, we love each other, and we wake up every single day wanting to be our best, using the gifts God has given us to be the best we can be.

Altmyer continued, “That’s my story — doing things the right way, being tough as nails, and doing whatever it takes to win. It’s about preparation on the field, being tough, and competing. That’s the mentality in our locker room. There’s a lot of ability, obviously, but the way we carry ourselves day to day is a real positive.

The 3-year starter closed his remarks by stating, “I’m just grateful for the program I’ve been in, not only for developing me as a player, but as a human. I’m very thankful.”