Rutgers QB Art Sitkowski transferring to Illinois

Bret Bielema and the Illinois Fighting Illini continue to reshape the roster. Just hours after receiving a pledge from 2022 tight end Owen Anderson, the Illinois received another commitment from another player in the state of New Jersey.

Former Rutgers quarterback Artur Sitkowski announced he is transferring to Illinois.

This move is, well, a bit of a surprise. Sitkowski will bring another veteran presence with Big Ten starting experience into Illinois’ quarterback room, but his numbers with the Scarlet Knights weren’t exactly awe-inspiring.

The 6-foot-5, 224-pounder started 11 games as a true freshman for Rutgers, completing 49% of his passes while throwing four touchdowns against 18 interceptions. He played in only three games in 2019 (44-for-68, 1 TD, 2 INT), and was serviceable as a backup QB in 2020 (52-for-81, 3 TDs, 0 INT).

It isn’t a glitzy signing, but it speaks to the direction Bret Bielema and his staff want to go. Sitkowski is a tall, pro-style quarterback. He’s the definition of a “scheme fit.”

Sitkowski, a three-star recruit in the class of 2018, will have three years of eligibility remaining. He’ll likely begin the year as the understudy to Brandon Peters — another former Big Ten starter who fell out of favor with his former team. What Sitkowski’s commitment means to guys like Matt Robinson, Deuce Spann & Coran Taylor remains to be seen, but it wouldn’t shock me to see any or all of those QBs look to find a home elsewhere.

For what it’s worth...Illinois will host Rutgers on Oct. 30.