INDIANAPOLIS — Luke Altmyer didn't show up in Indianapolis to go on a prove-it tour to NFL teams. The Illinois quarterback arrived at the NFL Scouting Combine to showcase three years of growth and his quarterback skill set to prospective NFL teams.
Altmyer has been there and done that from a prove-it standpoint. He proved he was one of the top quarterbacks in the Class of 2021, and the Starkville (Miss.) native committed to home-state Ole Miss. After two years of limited game reps and time as a backup with the Rebels behind top-100 NFL Draft picks Matt Corral and Jaxson Dart, he proved he still was a Power Four quarterback by committing to Illinois, where he rebuilt his confidence and career. At Illinois, Altmyer proved not only that he's a Power Four starting quarterback, but that he's a good one with NFL skills.
This week's stop in Indianapolis is a showcase of that journey while blending in his arm talent, accuracy and leadership.
"I just want them to see who I am, how I think, my mentality," Altmyer told Illini Inquirer on Friday. "I'm not looking to prove anything, man. I am who I am. I'm going to go do that. I'm going to go be my best. I'm a confident, eager kid with a lot of ability, and I hope they see that. I'm a guy who does his job. I've got a job to do, and I'm going to do it well. I'm not looking to prove anything. I'm just here to be myself, and that's enough — I'll tell you that. I'm prepared, I'm ready to go. The bottom line is when I walk in the building one day, I've got a job to do, and I'm going to do it well. My job right now is to be my best on the field Saturday and in these interviews. That's my approach to everything."
Altmyer has a chance to become the first Illinois quarterback drafted since 2002 and is coming off a stellar three-year Illini career in which he established himself as one of the program's best all-time quarterbacks. According to the NFL Mock Draft Database Consensus Board, Altmyer is the No. 236 overall prospect and the No. 11 QB in the class. He was one of only three Power Four quarterbacks in this draft class to complete at least 67% of his passes for 3,000-plus yards and 22+ TDs, along with Fernando Mendoza and Carson Beck.
Altmyer is No. 1 all-time at Illinois in career passer rating (144.31), No. 1 in career completion percentage (64.36%), second in quarterback wins (23), second in career touchdown passes (57) and fifth in career passing yards (7,607). He had seven game-winning drives in the final minute or in overtime.
Uncoincidentally, Illinois had a stellar three-year stretch with Altmyer at the helm, including 19 wins in the last two seasons with bowl wins over SEC opponents in both years.