Perhaps no quarterback in the Big Ten Conference has the unusual resume of someone like Illinois quarterback Katin Houser. The fifth-year senior began his career at Michigan State, transferred to a lower level, and is now back in the Big Ten for his final season of college football.
Houser was a former four-star recruit from St. John Bosco High School in California who signed with Michigan State in 2022 and redshirted after playing just one game. The following season, he played in 11 games and made seven starts for the Spartans, completing 112-of-191 passes for 1,130 yards, six touchdowns, and five interceptions.
Houser left Michigan State after 2023 and found stability at East Carolina. He played in nine games in 2024 and started in seven of
them. He passed for 2,006 yards and 18 touchdowns in his first season. The following season, Houser broke out to become one of the better quarterbacks in the country. He started all 12 regular-season games and threw for 3,300 yards and 19 touchdowns while completing 65.9% of his passes.
Houser signed with Illinois on Jan. 4, giving head coach Bret Bielema and offensive coordinator Barry Lunney Jr. the quarterback they wanted to replace the departing Luke Altmyer.
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Through three games, Houser has been extremely efficient for the Illini. He has completed 74.1% of his passes, while throwing for over 250 yards per game. He has thrown eight touchdown passes so far this season, seven of them to wide receiver Collin Dixon.
For Ohio State, the central focus will be to get Houser out of rhythm and force him to improvise. He has proven that he does a great job going through his progressions and making the right decision more often than not. The Buckeyes will open up their Big Ten schedule on Saturday, and their first challenge will be up against one of the better quarterbacks in the conference.
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This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: Ohio State must prepare for Illinois QB Katin Houser | opinion
