Tom Allen's Indiana Hoosiers are set to open up spring practice March 4, which gives us just enough time to preview IU on a position-by-position basis.
Today, we look at the quarterbacks.
This time last year, the Indiana's quarterback position was filled with equal parts controversy and uncertainty.
JUCO transfer Richard Lagow was in his initial days with the program fighting returning veteran Zander Diamont, also in his graduating class, for the starting gig. He ultimately won out in fall practice.
This spring isn't quite like that.
Lagow is back for his second season after leading Indiana to the Foster Farms Bowl in 2016. Barring injury, it's his team moving forward, so the spring will be there for him to develop.
Who's Indiana losing?
Zander Diamont, would-be senior: Citing a fear of concussions, Diamont opted to pass on his final season of eligibility after being used sparingly last season. He'd come in for Wildcat looks occasionally but was never a true threat to take over the starting job from Lagow. Diamont appeared in eight games and completed 9-of-15 passes for 192 yards, one touchdown and one interception. He also took 39 carries for 244 yards and four touchdowns.
Kevin Wilson, head coach: It may seem a little odd to include Wilson here, but there was no hiding the fact that he was the driving coaching force behind Indiana's quarterbacks. Offensive coordinator Kevin Johns certainly helped out as well, but Wilson ran the ship at the position group. His parting of ways with the program will leave a coaching hole that needs to be filled rather quickly.
Shawn Watson, quarterbacks coach: Watson was Indian's quarterback coach for about a month before accepting the offensive coordinator gig at Pittsburgh. Diamont and Lagow were both high on the job Watson did in his limited time as an on-the-field coach and his behind-the-scenes work as a quality control coach in the year before that.
Which players are coming back?
Lagow, redshirt senior: In his first full season as a starter, Lagow completed 57.8 percent of his passes for 3,362 yards, 19 touchdowns and 17 interceptions. It was the latter stat that oftentimes stood out more than anything else, and he would admit as much. That'll be the clear point to be addressed moving forward. Teammates said they could see Lagow's confidence growing as the season went along, and that'll probably only continue in the spring.
Danny Cameron, redshirt junior: Did not see game action last season but was named the Scout Team Player of the Week for his job getting the defense ready for Northwestern. He complted 6-of-16 passes for 65 yards against Penn State as a redshirt freshman in 2015 after being redshirted in 2014. He may be the most likely candidate to back up Lagow based on his previous playing experience and could be in the running for a single season as starter in 2018 after Lagow graduates. He spent the majority of last season as the third-string quarterback behind Lagow and Diamont.
Austin King, redshirt sophomore: Did not see game action last season after redshirting as a true freshman. He may be a candidate to replace Lagow as the starter in 2018 if he remains competitive in practice.
Mike Fiacable, redshirt sophomore: Did not see game action last season. He is not considered an actual threat to see the field barring a significant among of injuries piling up.
Peyton Ramsey, redshirt freshman: Did not see game action and redshirted last season. Wilson was high on Ramsey throughout last season, as were plenty of his teammates. He'll be in the race to replace Lagow as the starter in 2018.
Any mid-year enrollees already around?
As far as players? No. But...
Nick Sheridan, quarterbacks coach: Sheridan left what would have been his first coaching job as the running backs coach at Central Michigan for the quarterbacks coach spot at Indiana. He worked under new offensive coordinator Mike DeBord as a graduate assistant working exclusively with the quarterbacks the last two seasons. DeBord went as far as to say Sheridan was the working quarterback coach at Tennessee. He'll have to quickly come up to speed with what it means to coach Hoosier quarterbacks in a new environment.
Who will join the program after spring practice?
Nick Tronti, two-star quarterback out of Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida: Tronti flew mostly under the radar as a recruit until late in the 2017 cycle. After decommitting from Charlotte, schools like Indiana jumped into the picture. The 6-foot-2, 215-pound prospect passed for 3,328 yards and 34 touchdowns, while rushing for 650 yards and 19 scores for Ponte Vedra High School’s Class 5A state runner-up team. He was also named Mr. Football in the state of Florida for his work. Despite the low ranking, Allen made it clear he likes Tronti's winning demeanor. He's a passer by nature who can also extend the play on his feet if needed, which is exactly the type of passer Allen said he'll be looking for moving forward.
What do the position battles look like?
Lagow will be the starter. That's as close to a guarantee as one can find.
But behind him? That's where things get messy.
Cameron is the veteran of the backup group but is going to be pressed by King and Ramsey. All of those guys will undoubtedly be eying the starting spot Lagow will leave behind in 2018. Whoever emerges as the true No. 2 quarterback will likely be in line to be the next starter.
Do you have a projected depth chart?
First-Team: Richard Lagow
Second-Team: Danny Cameron
Third-Team: Austin King/Peyton Ramsey
Outlook: Indiana is in a good spot with Lagow
Fans need to remember just how crazy of a situation Lagow got dropped into when he decided to transfer to Bloomington to suit up for the Hoosiers.
He was tasked with replacing Nate Sudfeld, who is perhaps the most accomplished passer in program history despite missing significant time with injury. That isn't easy for anyone, let alone a guy who was moving from the JUCO ranks to playing in the Big Ten East.
Putting a value on Lagow's experience is tricky, but there's little doubt it's going to help. He talked at length about being more comfortable as the season went along, and his play reflected that.
Now that he's managed to reflect on his first year, Lagow will be able to focus on sharpening up his passing toolkit under the watchful eye of Sheridan, DeBord and Allen. The Hoosiers have leadership positions to fill, and it seems like Lagow is comfortable stepping in.
Behind him will be a bunch of hungry young quarterbacks trying to position themselves for his starting spot in the future. There's going to be plenty of competition at the quarterback spot all spring, and that will only push these guys to get better with time.
Burning Question: Just how good is this Peyton Ramsey kid?
Seemingly everyone with knowledge of the Indiana football program is high on Ramsey.
Like, really high.
But he's young, and youth can be a kiss of death at the quarterback spot. He'll be working with a new coordinator in DeBord and a new position coach in Sheridan, which could drastically impact his growth.
Ramsey appears to be the type of player Allen wants to recruit. Teammates say he's got a confident demeanor about him, he's got a proven arm and is mobile enough to make plays on his feet.
Don't expect to see him on the field in 2017. His work is going to be behind the scenes.
But he's lurking and improving as he goes. This spring will be critical for his development.
