The outlook for Illini football in the coming years changed significantly when Lovie Smith hired Cory Patterson. Some were critical of the hire, others ecstatic that Lovie was doing his best to strengthen the St. Louis pipeline, where so much talent was being produced in recent years.
With the signings of Isaiah Williams and Shammond Cooper, Patterson showed he was worth his contract. Since then, Patterson has continued to impress on the recruiting trail and garnered positive reviews from spectators at practice. While IW appears to be the quarterback of the future, the QB picture changed significantly for the Illini on June 19, when former Michigan Wolverine Brandon Peters announced he would use his remaining two years of eligibility in Champaign.