ECU transfer QB Katin Hauser will soon be visiting Illinois as an option for his final year of collegiate eligibility, according to 247.
The 6-foot-3 Orange County native played for St. John Bosco and began
his career playing for Mel Tucker at Michigan State.
Prospect Pedigree
Houser picked Michigan State over 13 other offers. His other options included Arizona, Colorado, Boise State, Iowa, Washington, and Oregon State. According to 247Sports, Houser was ranked the number 14 quarterback in the class of 2022.
For context, some of the quarterbacks ranked ahead of him included Drew Allar, Cade Klubnik, Ty Simpson, and Gunnar Stockton. For related context, Illinois’ only QB signee in that class was Donovan Leary, who was ranked number 52 among quarterbacks.
Here is how he stacked up as a prospect against the last three Illini starting signal callers. The following rankings are the composite rankings from 247Sports.
- Brandon Peters – #61 Overall #6 Pro Style Quarterback
- Tommy DeVito – #341 Overall #13 Pro Style Quarterback
- Luke Altmyer – #196 Overall #21 Quarterback
- Katin Houser – #225 Overall #14 Quarterback
Productivity
While in East Lansing, Houser put up modest numbers in seven starts. He completed 58% of his passes with 6 touchdowns and 5 picks. Still, he looked like the favorite to hold onto the starting gig in 2023.
Then, his head coach chose indiscretion over responsibility. Mel Tucker was jettisoned, and Oregon State program rebuilder Jonathan Smith was on his way to East Lansing.
When Smith took over, he brought his prized recruit, Aidan Chiles, from Corvallis. Houser hit the portal and took an opportunity to become the starting quarterback of the East Carolina Pirates. In two years as ECU’s QB1, Houser threw 37 touchdowns and 17 interceptions.
Last season, he improved his completion percentage to 66% while averaging over 12 yards per completion. He rushed for 550 non-sack yards in his two years in Greenville.
His dual-threat ability and improving efficiency resemble Luke Altmyer’s evolution in Champaign. Altmyer’s primary weakness was ball protection. By the time he left, he was not only an efficient passer, but he also excelled at ball security. The raw tools and experience are there for Barry Lunney Jr. and Art Sitkowski to maximize.
My guy Drew Pastorek always says “show your work.” So here is the video evidence.
I would like to start with this clip of him reacting to a loss. In the loss, his defense gave up 58 points.
In the next clip, Houser is still in East Lansing. The Spartans are getting demolished by Kalen DeBoer and the Huskies. (That seems like so long ago.) But that doesn’t stop Katin from making this gritty play in the red zone, showcasing his running chops.
Next, Houser demonstrates his accuracy. He drops this one where only his receiver can get to it. He put his guy in position to succeed, and his receiver did the rest of the work. Can you imagine him doing this with Brayden Trimble next season?
This next one is exactly what you want to see. Play action, post pattern, touchdown. This is the kind of big play you want your QB to make in tough games.
Finally, this is the one that may mean the most to some fans. Quarterback can be a character over skill role. You have to be accountable in losses and just as much of a team guy in victories. You’ve seen how he reacts to tough losses, but here’s how he reacts to a big win.
Illinois’ roster construction for 2026 is just starting in earnest. The freshman and juco transfers will be arriving in the coming days. And several of the potential portal additions will also be will arrive before the start of the spring semester. But bringing in Houser would give Illinois its most crucial piece. With him, they could build around Houser for a rebuild/bridge year. It takes the pressure off Carson Boyd and keeps Ethan Hampton in his ideal role as QB2 on a competitive squad.
Who’s next for the Illini offense?
With the departures of Cole Rusk, Justin Bowick, and Ashton Hollins, the Illini could use a big red zone target. The additional departures of Mario Sanders and Tysean Griffin create a broader need for pass catchers.
The offensive line is in flux. And despite optimism for young prospects like Eddie Tuerk and the Knapik brothers, Illinois has to replace at least four starters.
Will TJ Taylor, Maika Matleau, or Alfred Washington look like potential starters? Either way, Illinois has learned the hard way that you can never have too much depth on the offensive line.
Finally, with Thad Ward’s departure, who will coach the backs for the Illini next season? Will Bret Bielema go for a teacher archetype, or will he target someone with significant recruiting ties to fertile regions like St. Louis, Indianapolis, and Chicago?
Welcome to the hot stove league of college football. I think there should be Winter Meetings for CFB in Florida, where all of the coaches, portal players, agents, and program GMs can meet, legally tamper, and discuss deals.
