Indiana football's season opener against Florida International has continued to creep closer and closer as each day comes and goes. With the season less than two months away, TheHoosier.com's staff predicts who will be Indiana's leading passer for the 2024 season.
JIM COYLE
What would the start of an Indiana football season be without the question of who will be QB1 for the Hoosiers. It's been several years since that was not the case. However, I do not anticipate that occurring this season for multiple reasons. At the top of that list, and most importantly, is that Curt Cignetti and his long-time coaching staff know what is needed to make an offense work, and they know how and when to put the right pieces in the right place to make that happen.
Indiana is blessed with a wealth of solid talent in the quarterbacks room. Tyler Cherry is a stud freshman sitting in the number 3 slot, learning the college game and how to read defenses. The guy that ran Center Grove HS's offense before Cherry, Tayven Jackson, has spent two years at the D1 level. First at high volume Tennessee, and last season in Bloomington. He was able to get about a half a season's work in for a mismatched, hodge-podge, directionless Hoosier offense in 2023. None of that was his fault. And the most recent Spring game showed what I thought to be great potential and quick growth since Curt Cignetti's arrival.
But senior transfer Kurtis Rourke has talent and a boat load of experience. He's older and will even be married when the season gets here. That's maturity. And that is invaluable at the most important position on the field, especially on a team that has the abundance of talented receivers to target, one of the best in the Big Ten for that matter, that the Hoosiers have. Because of that, there is no question in my mind that barring injury, Rourke will be QB1 for Indiana and I do not think fans will have to wait until the Hoosiers take the field vs FIU on August 31st to find out.
ZACH BROWNING
For me, this is an obvious choice. Outside of an injury, or anything unforeseen, everything is shaping up for Kurtis Rourke to be the Hoosiers' starting signal caller for the 2024 season. Because of that, I think he's the no-brainer pick to be Indiana's leading passer this upcoming season.
The only other guy that would make senes to be Indiana's leading passer this year is Tayven Jackson, but it appears as though he's going to backup Rourke this season. Again, unless Rourke gets hit with an injury, Jackson most likely won't see the field often enough for him to lead the Hoosiers in passing.
Rourke has thrown for more than 1,800 yards in each of the last three seasons and he's likely working with the most talented receiving corp of his career this year in Bloomington. Add in the fact that he's playing in Curt Cignetti and Mike Shanahan's high-powered offense and Rourke is likely set up to have a career year in 2024, his sixth season of college football.
JOSH POS
In my opinion, Kurtis Rourke is the only answer for who Indiana’s leading passer will be this upcoming season. Rourke's leadership qualities, both on and off the field, are exactly what the Hoosiers' new head coach Curt Cignetti and his staff are looking for this 2024 season. Rourke's numbers speak for themselves, at Ohio he was consistently putting up 1,500-plus yard season. Heading into 2024, that’s exactly what Indiana needs from an offensive standpoint at the quarterback position.
Additionally, I don’t believe there is an ongoing quarterback battle entering ahead of Indiana's week one opener versus Florida International. Once Cignetti chooses his starting quarterback, which all signs point to it being Rourke, the decision will be final -- that is of course unless something drastically changes the situation.
COLIN MCMAHON
The answer to who will be the leading passer for the Hoosiers seems relatively simple, and it most likely is, but I’ll still dive into why Kurtis Rourke should lead IU in the pass category for this season.
The transfer from Ohio U threw for over 7,500 years in his four year Bobcat career, showing that he is an elite passer and he specifically showed he can be elite year in each of his past two seasons.
In his last two campaigns he accounted for 3,256 and 2,207 yards respectively, while also throwing for over ten touchdowns in each season. While the Big Ten may be a more daunting task than the MAC, Rourke has the tools to be elite on the big stage.
Tayven Jackson and Tyler Cherry may also be great talents at the QB position, although everything is pointing towards this being Rourke’s year. Based on his track record, he should not only be the Hoosiers’ leading passer, but one of the top guys in the Big Ten.
BRYAN AULT
The Hoosiers dipped into the transfer portal at key positions for one reason: they realize they need to win now. From landing Kent State defensive tackle C.J. West and a couple of carryovers from James Madison, Coach Cignetti and his staff get it. While they have a good group in the Class of 2025 cemented for the future, they know they are under pressure to start winning from the get-go.
Kurtis Rourke is another one of those portal acquisitions and the likely starter. The 6-foot-5, 222-pound gunslinger looks the part and is coming off three productive seasons for Ohio. These include back-to-back 10-win seasons for the Bobcats, who finished second overall in the MAC East. Expect Rourke to start calling plays while backups Tayven Jackson and Tyler Cherry wait patiently for their turn.
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