7/21/2019 football Edit

Indiana Football: Tom Allen Outlines Timetable For Naming Starting QB

Stu Jackson • TheHoosier

Staff Writer

Stu Jackson covers Indiana University basketball, football and recruiting for TheHoosier.com. He also hosts Heard on The Hoosier, the site's official podcast.

CHICAGO – There's questions at the quarterback position once again for Indiana Hoosiers football this fall.

At Big Ten Media Day Thursday, IU head coach Tom Allen gave a tentative timeline for when he wants to have the official starter name with fall camp less than two weeks away.

Don't miss out on any of our exclusive football, basketball and recruiting coverage. Click here to get your 30-day free trial!

Indiana Hoosiers football head coach Tom Allen has a tentative timetable in place for when he'd like to name the starting quarterback. (Stu Jackson / TheHoosier.com)

"I don't want to set a date, but I do feel like, within the second or third week of fall camp, I want to make a decision," Allen told the Big Ten Network during his TV appearance at Big Ten Media Day. "For sure, going into the weekend before game week, we will definitely have a decision."

The timeframe is consistent with how last year's quarterback decision unfolded. Allen named redshirt junior Peyton Ramsey the starter during the final week of fall camp, nine days before the 2018 season-opener at Florida International.

Allen offered the same consistent message he's maintained about the position battle since the spring. Ramsey is the returning starter, but he is expected to be pushed by redshirt freshmen Jack Tuttle and Michael Penix Jr.

While the depth and talent at the position is arguably better than it's been in quite some time for the Hoosiers between the veteran Ramsey and a pair of former four-star prospects in Tuttle and Penix, Allen won't try to employ a system that utilizes two quarterbacks. One man will be chosen, and it will be their show to run.

"We don't plan to run a two-quarterback system," Allen said. "Obviously it's happened in the past, and it's been successful other places, but the plan now is to pick one and let him be the man. As I mentioned before, we'll go into fall camp and make those decisions, but I really believe in each one of those individuals and they all have their unique skill sets and strengths that they bring to the table. And they're all a little bit different, but they all have the ability to throw the football and extend plays, which is a key ingredient to what we're trying to accomplish offensively. So that's something that we will unfold throughout fall camp, and we'll make a decision before game 1."