Brandon Peters had to learn on the fly when he got to Illinois. After making his decision to transfer from Michigan, the former four-star quarterback had only a few months to learn a brand new offense and get acquainted with a brand new team.

It worked out pretty well for Peters and the Illini.

The season didn’t quite end the way Peters and Illinois had hoped, falling 35-20 in the Redbox Bowl to Cal. Peters completed 22-of-37 pass attempts for 273 yards, a touchdown and an interception. But that performance doesn’t define how the season turned out for the Illini, or Peters’ quick acclimation to his new environment.

Following the Redbox Bowl, Peters said his first year in Champaign went better than expected. He also feels a lot more at home than he did when the year started.

“At first, I was just blessed to be able to have the opportunity to come here and play,” Peters said after the game. “The journey has been — I never expected it to go this well, honestly. Coming in a month or two before the season started, everything played out amazing. The guys on the team really helped throughout this process. I feel like I have a solid home now.”

Peters ended the year with 1,884 passing yards and 18 touchdown passes in 11 games. He added 213 yards and three scores on the ground, showing off some serious mobility at times throughout the year.

While his season was a bit of a roller coaster, he’ll now have a chance to get an entire offseason to work with Illinois and develop his craft before his final season of eligibility. And with a full year of starting experience now under his belt, the Illini may finally have that stability under center they’ve needed.