When it comes to starting quarterbacks, Bielema might be changing his ways

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Oct. 20—CHAMPAIGN — For the first six seasons of his Illinois coaching career, Bret Bielema's starting quarterbacks have been transfers … until now.

Freshman Michael Clayton II will take the opening snap against Oregon on Saturday at Gies Memorial Stadium (2 p.m. on BTN) as the Illini return from their open week.

He replaces Katin Houser, who suffered a fracture in his throwing hand at Michigan State and is out indefinitely after undergoing surgery.

Houser, an East Carolina transfer, followed Mississippi transfer Luke Altmyer as QB1. Oh, yeah, Altmyer didn't start every game in 2023, with Ball State transfer John Paddock earning three starts.

Altmyer came after Syracuse transfer Tommy DeVito, who followed Brandon Peters (ex-Michigan) and Art Sitkowski (ex-Rutgers).

Perhaps, we should have seen this coming based on Bielema's earlier Big Ten work at Wisconsin. After going with mostly homegrown starters, Bielema brought in North Carolina State transfer Russell Wilson to Madison in 2011 and won the Big Ten. Wilson threw 33 touchdowns passes with just four interceptions.

Will Clayton become an exception to Bielema's quarterback practices or the new standard?

"It's a great question, Bielema said Monday during his weekly press conference. "I know we're six years into it, but kind of a little bit when you take over, you've got to readjust to what your current roster is. If I took over now today versus six years ago, the transition would have even been bigger."

The quarterback room Bielema inherited in 2021 led him to the string of transfers. It just so happened to time up with the rise of the portal.

Taking over

There is never an optimal time for a team to lose its starting quarterback. But a convenient time lines up with a team's open week, like it was for Illinois.

"It was a really good week for our quarterbacks to get a lot of quality reps on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday," Bielema said. "Excited about that."

The open week helped both Clayton and his now-backup Carson Boyd.

Clayton came in at Michigan State and led Illinois to an overtime victory.

"The biggest thing for us is take advantage of the moment they are in," Bielema said. "I thought Michael did a nice job of that.

"I couldn't be happier with him this past week. He's done a lot of really good things. Carson as well."

Normally during the season, the backup quarterback doesn't get a lot of work in practice.

"They really even started splitting those reps after Week 2," Bielema said.

Bielema began to see the potential to change the pattern in 2025, when he brought in Boyd and followed with Clayton this season.

"When I was with them in January, you see how they handle things." Bielema said. "I said several times: 'Hopefully the next starter comes from within our program.' Super impressed with both those guys. We'll see how this thing plays out."

Clayton isn't Bielema's first freshman starter. During Bielema's run at Wisconsin, first-year player Joel Stave started against Texas El Paso in 2011.

Stave finished his Wisconsin career as the winningest quarterback in program history. Stave started his career as a walk-on.

Open to 24

College Football Playoff teams that is. Apparently, that is the direction the game is going. Bielema is all for it.

"It's really something that had been driven by our commissioner (Tony Petitti)," Bielema said. "The biggest thing for him is he gave us that plan probably two years ago."

Bielema is on the NCAA Football Oversight Committee and also on the American Football Coaches Association board. He had heard things before they started moving.

"I've just been very impressed with Tony, his vision and his ability to kind of connect all the dots," Bielema said.

Had the 24-team playoff been in place in 2024, Illinois would have challenged for a spot. And it would have been close in 2025.

"It allows a team that maybe loses a game or two early in the year to still have a viable option," Bielema said. "At the end of the year, some of these games that nobody is really paying attention to become significant. … I think it actually builds value to the end of the year."

Here's Johnny

Former Illinois defensive star Johnny Newton, now on injured reserve with the Washington Commanders because of a torn pectoral muscle, will be the guest captain for Illinois against Oregon.

"It's the first time I've ever had one of our guys come back and be a guest captain," Bielema said. "Super excited for Johnny and with his brother (Jershaun) starting to get some reps on the field too now. Cool in many different regards."

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