EYES ARE ON RETURNING STARTING QB LUKE ALTMYER -- WHO'S FEELING LOOSE AND PLAYING WITH CONFIDENCE AFTER AN UP AND DOWN 2023 -- USING THE HARDSHIPS HE EXPERIENCED IN YEAR ONE TO BECOME A BETTER PLAYER AND PERSON AS A JUNIOR. LUKE ALTMYER "I GOT A LITTLE HESITANT WITH MY DECISION MAKING. BEING AFRAID TO MAKE MISTAKES SOMETIMES." LUKE ALTMYER FELT HELD BACK BY THE CRITICISM THAT COMES WITH BEING A STARTING COLLEGE STARTING QUARTERBACK -- AND AFTER WORKING THROUGH THAT MENTAL CHALLENGE -- ALTMYER WANTS TO USE THAT GROWTH TO LEAD THE ILLINI IN 2024. ALTMYER "ULTIMATELY, THE BEST LEADERSHIP IS A SERVANT. THAT COMES FROM MY FAITH, OBVIOUSLY, BUT A GUY WHO WILL GIVE THE SHIRT OFF HIS BACK TO HIS TEAMMATE TO LET THEM KNOW THAT. MY THING IS TO GO OUT THERE AND LOVE EVERY SINGLE DAY. CONNECT INDIVIDUALLY WITH SOMEBODY EVERY SINGLE DAY." AND ALTMYERS CONFIDENCE IS SEEN BY HIS OFFENSIVE LINE. JOSH KREUTZ: "LUKE'S GOT A LOT OF CONFIDENCE, BECOMING A LEADER AND THEY'RE GIVING HIM A BIGGER ROLE IN CERTAIN STUFF AND JUST RECOGNIZING DEFENSES, ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF. LUKE'S JUST TAKEN A HUGE STEP AND IT'S JUST AWESOME TO SEE. I LOVE PLAYING WITH HIM." ILLINOIS REPLACES MULTIPLE STARTERS ON THE OFFENSIVE LINE FROM LAST SEASON -- ADDING ALL- MOUNTAIN WEST LEFT TACKLE JC DAVIS FROM NEW MEXICO -- WHO'S ENJOYING THE JUMP IN COMPETITION ON DAY THREE OF FALL CAMP. JC DAVIS: "I'M GOING AGAINST SOME BETTER COMPETITION, LIKE WE HAD GOOD PLAYERS IN NEW MEXICO, DON'T GET ME WRONG BUT LIKE THESE GUYS ARE A LITTLE BIT BETTER. WE'RE GETTING EACH OTHER BETTER EVERY DAY." THAT COMPETITIVE SPIRIT EXTENDS TO THE RUNNING BACK ROOM. THAD WARD: "IRON SHARPENS IRON AS ONE MAN SHARPENS ANOTHER. THEY FEED OFF EACH OTHER EVERY SINGLE