Was Illinois' Luke Altmyer Snubbed on ESPN's '40 Most Important' Players of 2025?

Of all the positions and player types across the roughly 100-man roster of any college football team, everyone can agree that the most important cog in the machine is the player who lines up under center. A quarterback can be the difference between a 2-10 season and a 10-2 season. Not only do a QB’s arm talent and mental aptitude play big roles, but their ability to guide and inspire those around them can elevate a team from good to championship-caliber.

ESPN’s Bill Connelly concurs with this overall thought process – and especially so for the upcoming season:

“The quarterback position, already the most important in any team sport, is going to be more important than ever this fall.”

With that said, Connelly went on to name the 40 most important players in all of college football this year, and – spoiler alert – the vast majority of individuals listed slot at the QB position.

Yet Illinois’ Luke Altmyer was nowhere to be found on the list. Of all 11 teams listed ahead of the Illini in USA Today’s coaches poll, every team’s expected starter was featured by Connelly. South Carolina, the squad listed at No. 13, saw dual-threat QB LaNorris Sellers listed. But Altmyer – who led his troops past Sellers’ Gamecocks in the Citrus Bowl last season – was a no-show.

Click here for more on Illinois and its opponents’ ranking in the USA Today coaches poll

Luke Altmyer with the Citrus Bowl belt#illini knock off South Carolina 21-17

Illinois finishes 10-3, its best record since 2001 pic.twitter.com/h46IhQ6Sxq
— Carson Gourdie (@GourdieReport) December 31, 2024

Despite Altmyer’s breakout 2024 campaign – which saw him throw for 2,717 yards, 22 touchdowns and only six interceptions while leading Illinois to the program’s first 10-win season in decades – Connelly didn't find him worth of inclusion on his list.

Why the Luke Altmyer snub comes as a shock

Heading into the 2025 campaign, Penn State’s Drew Allar is the best quarterback in the Big Ten. After that, there's room for some healthy debate. But no matter how you slice it, Altmyer is the player most deserving of that runner-up spot. Of the top eight finishers in the conference last year, just two return their starting quarterback from 2024 – Penn State (Allar) and Illinois (Altmyer). Worth monitoring among the newcomers in that top eight are Michigan’s Bryce Underwood (2025’s consensus No. 1 recruit), Oregon’s Dante Moore, Ohio State’s Julian Sayin and Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza (Cal transfer).

Click here for a (surprising) prediction on Luke Altmyer’s 2025 campaign

Still, no one from that group has yet proven himself in Big Ten competition. A list of "best" players is far more subjective than a list containing "most important" players. For Altmyer, a third-year starter coming off a 10-win season for a Big Ten contender with an opportunity to make its first College Football Playoff at a pivotal moment in program history, "important" only scratches the surface of describing his value to the Illini.

Illinois on SI verdict: Altmyer was snubbed.

Was Illinois' Luke Altmyer Snubbed on ESPN's '40 Most Important' Players of 2025?

Why the Luke Altmyer snub comes as a shock

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