The speculation surrounding Indiana’s starting quarterback is over.
Head coach Tom Allen confirmed that redshirt freshman Michael Penix Jr. will be the Hoosiers’ starter for the 2019 season.
Now that he has been uprooted from the starting job, redshirt junior Peyton Ramsey will serve as the backup to Penix.
“Peyton’s an awesome kid; he’s one of the finest young men I've ever been around,” Allen said. “Those are tough decisions that have to be made by head coaches. It wasn’t what Peyton didn’t do, it was more of what I believe Mike can be.”
Penix’s ability to lead the team was apparent last season before he tore his ACL against Penn State. He completed 61.8 percent of his throws for 219 yards and one touchdown after appearing in three games a year ago.
Coming into this season, it was imperative for Penix to prove that he was fully healthy. Not only did he have to show that he was back to full strength, but he had to take on the pressure of leading a football team in the face of competition.
“Because he really didn’t take any team reps in the spring, it wasn’t that there was anything different, it was just him proving that he could handle it,” offensive coordinator Kalen DeBoer said of Penix. “He did that day in and day out.”
The coaches started to progress toward their final decision last week as reps began to be allotted to Penix and the first-team offense. Before that, the reps were split evenly between Penix, Ramsey and redshirt freshman Jack Tuttle.
Players said during fall camp that they believed in all three of the quarterbacks’ ability to make plays under center. Allen said the eventual starting quarterback would have to win the team, and now Penix has the opportunity to do that just 10 months removed from his season-ending injury.
“They need to all raise their game and help him along, but I know I’ll be asking a lot out of Mike to rise up to the situation,” DeBoer said. “The maturity he’s shown throughout fall camp is something that gives me immense confidence to him being ready.”
During the rehabilitation process, Penix said he knew that he would be in a position to compete for the starting job this season. He said Ramsey and Tuttle kept him on his toes during fall camp and pushed him to be a better player and a better person.
“I never doubted it, I just knew that I had to work extremely hard,” Penix said. “I took that setback as an opportunity. An opportunity to get better, more time to study in the film room, make sure that I’m on my game whenever I get back.”
Indiana will be back in action for the first time this season this Saturday against Ball State. The two programs will travel to Lucas Oil Stadium, the home of the Indianapolis Colts.
With the starting quarterback decided, the team’s focus shifts to its first opponent.
“We’re all behind Mike as our starting quarterback and looking forward to seeing him take off and lead this football team,” Allen said.
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