It's an awesome close to the weekend in Champaign, especially if you're Illinois Fighting Illini coach Bret Bielema.
Less than a week after a 30-28 Music City Bowl thriller against the Tennessee Volunteers and a fitting game-winning drive from now-former quarterback Luke Altmyer, the team has now found his successor for next fall.
Enter another elite transfer quarterback in Katin Houser, who comes to Champaign after throwing 37 touchdowns for East Carolina in two seasons (43 for his career) with a brief stint at Michigan State prior to then.
ESPN's Pete Thamel weighed in on what this development means for the program, as it appears overwhelmingly positive.
"Houser led ECU to an 8-4 regular season record this year and an 8-5 overall record last year. He gives Bret Bielema’s team an experienced and productive quarterback," Thamel wrote. "He has one year remaining."
Unlike Altmyer, who spent three years with Illinois after transferring in from Ole Miss, Houser will have to get used to Bielema's system quickly.
Similarly to Illinois, too, Houser is already used to winning. The Illini's bowl win marked back-to-back postseason wins for the program. As much as Bielema emphasizes roster retention, this is another example of Illinois finding a hidden gem.
Whether it works out means to be seen, but at the very least, Illinois can feel stable, knowing it has a quarterback that can come in right away and replace such a dominant player like Altmyer was.
Come, August, we'll soon find out.