Aug. 29—CHAMPAIGN — Barry Lunney Jr. has taken a unique path when it comes to quarterback development at Illinois.
The fifth-year offensive coordinator has leaned into the idea that "it takes a village."
Lunney is one of three Illinois coaches working with four Illini quarterbacks this season. He's still involved despite handing off the quarterbacks coach title to Art Sitkowski. Pass game coordinator Mike Neu is also part of the equation.
"I know that sounds probably a little bit unique that you'd want that many people coaching them, but I think it's really good for the quarterback to have a different perspective and different feedback from different people," Lunney said. "We work really well together and have clearly defined roles in how we deal with them."
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Lunney's role is tied into his job as offensive coordinator. It's his scheme, and he's the one calling the plays the quarterbacks will run. Sitkowski's high-energy approach keeps the room going on a daily basis, and Neu's time as quarterbacks coach with the New Orleans Saints from 2014-15 working with Drew Brees provides "trickle down effects" at the Smith Center.
"Hopefully, we've got our guys, in particular (starting quarterback Katin Houser), ready to go and play the best football he's played in his career," Lunney said, with Houser set to make his Illini debut Thursday against UAB. "That would be a lofty goal of ours because he's played some really good football before."
Sitkowski said he's benefiting from the sheer volume of quarterback experience in that room as much as the current crop of Illinois signal callers. But he also sees the value in three voices in that room because of how detailed the position is coached.
"We truly look at every single detail when it comes to footwork, progression, eyes, protection, defensive tells (and) situational football," Sitkowski said. "The standard is very high in our room — very high — and we hold those guys to that high standard each and every single day because, ultimately, as quarterbacks it's all on us. We critique every aspect of their game."
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Coaching staff consistency for the Illinois offense is at the opposite end of the spectrum for the Illini defense.
Defensive backs coach Corey Parker and outside linebackers coach Archie McDaniel are the lone holdovers, among the primary assistants, from the 2025 season. New defensive coordinator Bobby Hauck brought in four assistants with background in his 3-3-5 scheme, with three former Montana assistants along with defensive line coach Jordan Thomas, who learned it from Rocky Long at San Diego State.
How that group came together in the last 61/2 months stood out to both Hauck and Illinois coach Bret Bielema.
"Everybody talks about the returning players," Bielema said. "It's the returning coaches that I think have the hardest time, right? (Parker and McDaniel) came under a different type of scheme. To learn a new scheme and know it the way they do, those two have been absolutely lights out."
Hauck referred to the cohesion that's developed for the defensive staff as something that he's found the most rewarding during his own short time in Champaign.
"You've got a month or two where everybody is feeling it out," Hauck said. "Nobody knows each other. ... It's been fun to watch how everybody works well together, and through time and spring ball the freedom to speak up, speak your piece.
"(Coach Bill McCartney) at Colorado, I was a young coach, he said, 'Remember, without disagreement, there is no discussion.' I've taken that forward. I think you've got to disagree on things and discuss them. We don't want a bunch of 'yes' men on our defensive staff. We want disagreement, discussion, and then coming out and being a cohesive unit. I think that's been just flat out awesome."
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Illinois remains on track to be mostly healthy for its season opener against UAB. The only key players now projected as "out" for Thursday's game — moving beyond their initial "doubtful" designation — are wide receiver Jayshon Platt and linebacker Daniel Brown.
How long those two will be sidelined is still uncertain.
"Just don't know exactly when they're going to get back," Bielema said. "Unfortunately aren't with us this game, but could be back very quickly. Daniel hasn't even practiced in fall camp, and Jayshon it was the second week he went down. It kind of left it open-ended. Fortunately, it's not a long period of time or something that's going to take him out of the season."
Platt being unavailable for half of Illinois' work this month — in addition to variable availability for other Illini wide receivers — opened the door for greater opportunity for the group that stayed healthy.
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Jershaun Newton topped that list. The converted quarterback took essentially every repetition possible during training camp. A necessity given his position switch.
"He's just more comfortable playing the position," Illinois wide receivers coach Justin Stepp said. "Everybody just thinks, 'Hey, he can run. Let's put him at wideout.' There's a lot that goes into it. You've got to know how to line up. Things change after the snap. Every day that kid gets more and more comfortable."
Lunney has seen the same.
"He's still settling in, for sure," the Illinois offensive coordinator said, while noting Newton's willingness to learn the position. "Any position change is difficult, but he has done well with it and he has improved on a daily basis. Really just taken the bull by the horns and tried to become the best he can be at the position."
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Jordan Anderson also made a position switch this offseason, moving from tight end to running back a year after doing the opposite.
A year away from his first position provided new perspective to the offense. Fellow running back Ca'Lil Valentine said Anderson has been able to share a different insight into how an opposing defensive line operates.
Lunney intends to make good use of the versatility the 6-foot-4, 240-pound fifth-year running back can provide.
"He could probably play every (skill) position," Lunney said. "I know he could. He could line up at every position we have. I could call every play call, and he would know what's going on, move there and be able to execute the assignment.
"It may not be a strength of his to run a post out as the Z (wide receiver) in a concept, but I'm painting a picture of how well he knows the offense. Part of that is because he's had to do it at a multi-positional perspective, but a lot of it is because he's just really, really brilliant. He knows what we do. He studies. That gives you a lot of flexibility to use a guy like that."
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