CHAMPAIGN, IL (Chambana Today) – Illinois seniors Luke Altmyer and Gabe Jacas have been named to the 2025 Big Ten Preseason Honors list, announced Tuesday during Big Ten Media Days in Las Vegas. The annual list, selected by media representatives, recognizes the conference’s top 15 players entering the upcoming season.
Quarterback Luke Altmyer, one of just two quarterbacks selected, is coming off a standout season in which he threw for 2,717 yards and 22 touchdowns, guiding Illinois to its first 10-win season since 2001. He joins Penn State’s Drew Allar as the only quarterbacks on the prestigious list.
On the defensive side, outside linebacker Gabe Jacas earned his spot after posting 74 tackles, 13.0 tackles for loss, and 8.0 sacks last year. Jacas, who is projected to earn All-American honors, tied for second in Big Ten sacks during conference play and was a cornerstone of the Illini defense.
Both Altmyer and Jacas return as part of a veteran Illinois squad with 18 returning starters from last season’s Cheez-It Citrus Bowl win over South Carolina. Illinois was projected to finish fourth in the Big Ten in a preseason media poll by Cleveland.com—its highest-ever ranking in the poll’s 15-year history.
This marks the first time Illinois has placed two players on the Big Ten Preseason Honors list. Last year, defensive tackle Jer’Zhan Newton broke a 12-year drought by being selected—the first Illini honoree since Nate Scheelhaase in 2011.