The Illinois Fighting Illini head coach announced a surprising position change.
The Illinois Fighting Illini football team opened training camp on Monday with a white hot spotlight on the quarterback position.
Head coach Bret Bielema dipped into the transfer portal for former Michigan State and East Carolina signal caller Katin Houser this offseason and named him the starting quarterback at Big Ten Media Days.
The announcement immediately cemented Houser's place as a leader on the team while adding to expectations of media scrutiny on both Houser and the backup quarterback battle .
Class of 2024 quarterback recruit Jershaun Newton was expected to be a wild card in the 2026 quarterback race, but coach Bielema announced he has been working at a different position.
Clearwater Central Catholic's Quarterback Jershaun Newton(1) finds running room during early first quarter action. The Clearwater Central Catholic Marauders traveled to Jacksonville, FL to take on the University Christian Christians in the Florida High School Athletic Association Class 1M starts football semifinal match Friday, December 2, 2022. The Marauders came away with a 29 to 34 win over the Christians. Newton Now at Wide Receiver
Newton came to Illinois as a 6-foot-tall, 215 pound quarterback out of Clearwater Florida with a build and ceiling reminiscent of former Illini star Juice Williams.
A three-star prospect, he also had offers from South Carolina, Tulane, Central Florida and other strong college football programs, a testament to his considerable skills.
Now, he's testing his talents at the wide receiver position.
"Illini head coach Bret Bielema said Jershaun Newton has moved from QB to WR," reporter Joey Wagner of the Illini Inquirer wrote on X.
"He moved there in June," Wagner added.
Newton Has Speed, Playmaking Ability
Newton's high school career showed that he has the speed and playmaking ability to excel whenever the ball is in his hands, whether behind center on the perimeter of the defense.
He threw for 55 touchdowns against just 12 interceptions during his career with Clearwater Central Catholic High School against high quality competition.
He rushed for over 1,000 yards as a sophomore, junior and senior, averaging more than eight yards per carry each season he played including as a freshman.
Offensive coordinator Barry Lunney, Jr., himself a former quarterback during his playing days with the Arkansas Razorbacks, will now have an opportunity to utilize Newton in an entirely different way.
Expect the potential for fireworks including reverses, jet sweeps, and perhaps opportunities for Newton to throw the ball down the field on trick plays when he does see the field.
Houser has the arm to threaten defenses downfield while Newton provides another weapon on an offense that might have to get more than a little creative to score at the same rate it did the last few seasons.
Houser has big shoes to fill with former starter Luke Altmyer now with the NFL's Detroit Lions, and it appears Lunney, Jr. is preparing to give him as many weapons as possible while he gets reacclimated to life in the Big Ten Conference.
