Last time Illinois had three quarterbacks in the same recruiting class — before 2018 — was in 1996. Lou Tepper's signees included Justin Cella, Brian Sheard and Tim Lavery.
Cella didn't stay very long at quarterback, getting moved to defensive end and eventually transferring to Western Carolina. Sheard left the program during his second season after falling far down the quarterback depth chart.
Only Lavery got on the field for Illinois at quarterback, starting five games during Ron Turner's first season in 1997. Splitting time with Mark Hoekstra and Kirk Johnson, Lavery completed 39 percent of his passes, with two touchdowns and eight interceptions.