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Illinois QB Luke Altmyer has a unique connection to Tennessee as the Vols continue their search for a new QB

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Zach Ragan | Last updated Apr 21, 2025 10:22 AM ET

The Tennessee Vols are still searching for a quarterback in the spring transfer window.

So far, the Vols haven't had any luck luring a quarterback away from his current program. Tennessee reportedly made a lucrative NIL offer to TCU quarterback Josh Hoover, but that offer was quickly turned down.

One name that could potentially make sense for Tennessee is Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer.

Altmyer, 6-foot-2/205 lbs, is a former four-star recruit who was rated as the No. 21 quarterback in the 2021 recruiting class.

The Mississippi native started his career at Ole Miss before transferring to Illinois ahead of the 2023 season. Altmyer spent one season at Ole Miss playing under offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby, who runs essentially the same offense as Vols head coach Josh Heupel (Lebby, who is now the head coach at Mississippi State, spent two seasons working under Heupel at UCF, including one season as Heupel's offensive coordinator).

The one year of experience in Lebby's offense would seemingly make Altmyer an ideal fit for Tennessee. Heupel's offense can take some time for quarterbacks to master, but Altmyer's previous experience under Lebby would make the transition a bit easier.

Luke Altmyer with the WHEELS! pic.twitter.com/syv4HwbxH0
— CBS Sports College Football (@CBSSportsCFB) October 19, 2024

Altmyer passed for 2,717 yards and 22 touchdowns (with just six interceptions) while leading Illinois to a 10-3 record in 2024 (which is tied for the most wins in program history).

#Illini QB coach Art Sitkowski on Luke Altmyer ahead of his third season with Illinois:

"His confidence, his maturity, his charisma around the guys is awesome... It's been awesome to see him come out of his shell... He's throwing the ball with tremendous authority right now… pic.twitter.com/i502MER2cE
— Glenn Kinley (@glenn_kinley) April 19, 2025

For now, there's no indication that Altmyer plans to leave Illinois. But considering that Altmyer is from SEC country (he's from Starkville) and his connection to Heupel's former offensive coordinator, it's easy to see how he could be a viable option for the Vols.

The one thing that could give Altmyer some hesitancy about potentially transferring to Tennessee, though, is the fact that he likely wouldn't be guaranteed the starting job with the Vols. Instead, Altmyer would likely need to beat out redshirt freshman Jake Merklinger and true freshman George MacIntyre for the starting job.

Would Altmyer give up the guaranteed starting job at Illinois for a chance to be the starter at Tennessee? That's the question he'll have to answer if the Vols come calling.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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