Fierce, Friendly QB Competition an Encouragement in Camp

By: Andy Graham
IUHoosiers.com

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - The wait is about to end for Indiana football's quarterbacks.

Then the key is making it all worth the wait.

A decision is coming soon in terms of naming IU's starting quarterback. That decision might not prove final, and it's entirely plausible that more than one quarterback plays this fall.

Redshirt sophomore Peyton Ramsey, graduate transfer Brandon Dawkins and true freshman Michael Penix Jr. are the candidates and each can make a case for the job.

But whomever takes center snaps will loom large over how the Hoosiers' 2018 season pans out – and not just due to the intrinsic importance of the position.

Indiana has a potentially potent offense heading into the Sept. 1 opener at Florida International. But potential will stay a long way from certainty unless the quarterback play proves both capable and catalytic.

And the offense probably needs to start the season in stride while a talented but youthful Hoosier defense matures.

"We have a lot more experience on the offensive side of the ball," Hoosier head coach Tom Allen said Monday. "As I challenged them, they have to rise up. They have to carry this team early on, just like the defense had to carry the team early on last year."

Allen and offensive coordinator Mike DeBord both indicated this week that last Sunday's scrimmage was instructive and that the upcoming Saturday scrimmage might help settle the QB choice.

"I think that you got three guys that all have ability, and all have things that they do well," Allen said. "... The next scrimmage, to me, we're going to have to make some decisions after that going into week three (of fall camp, the last before game week).

"I feel like we'll know some more by then. At the end of the day, it's a tight race. To me, you're going have to make the decision and go. Move forward."

DeBord said the coaches were in no hurry, with a decent chunk of camp time remaining, but said of the quarterbacks: "We've got another big scrimmage (coming up Saturday) that will be very valuable to them."

Allen said he preferred the players to make the decision "obvious," to show separation on the field.

DeBord specified the sort of characteristics that the coaches are hoping to see.

"Well, No. 1 is protect the football and taking care of it at all times," DeBord said. "Because our quarterbacks are involved in the run game, as everybody knows, and then also in the throw game – so they've got the ball a lot and have to do a great job of protecting it. That would be No. 1.

"Then No. 2 would be making plays. And you've got to be able to make plays with your arm and with your feet. That's what I'm looking at from my angle."

Then there is the experience angle, which could affect both ball security and play-making.

Ramsey played in nine games and had four starts last season before injury intervened, completing 65 percent of his passes. Dawkins had 14 starts in 23 games at Arizona, throwing for 15 touchdowns and running for 20.

Penix posted an eye-popping ratio of 61 TD passes to six interceptions at Tampa Bay Tech the past two years but has yet to take a collegiate snap.

That means Penix probably has to make his play in camp persuasive, especially within a context of a new rule that grants freshmen the chance to play in as many as four games while able to retain redshirt status.

The Hoosier coaches could choose to give Penix some meaningful minutes but still supply him an extra year of eligibility by limiting him to four games.

"You got the two other guys who've actually started and won and played in college football, where (Penix is) a young man that hasn't played a snap of live college football that isn't against his own team," Allen noted. "For you to feel like, yeah, he's the guy, he has to truly beat those guys out.

"We could play two, three quarterbacks over the course of a season. You don't want that to happen, but that sometimes happens – to me, you need three guys who you can trust, who can play, and that process continues.

"I just think that the older two guys definitely have an advantage with their experience but, Michael is a talented young man and he continues to impress."

IU quarterbacks coach Nick Sheridan puts some stock into that 61 TDs-to-six picks stat, even though it was achieved at the prep level.

"My opinion is that the best predictor of future performance is past performance," Sheridan said post-practice Tuesday. "Some of those things are instinctual."

Sheridan said he's seen improvement from all three candidates.

"For the two newer guys, just the overall understanding of the offense, their ability to operate down-in and down-out, that has been an improvement," Sheridan said. "And I know I mentioned this in the spring time for Peyton – his health, his physical development. He's bigger, stronger, faster, healthier than he was last fall.

"Peyton is a competitor by nature, so being in a competition is nothing new to him. Not only does he have Big Ten playing experience – and you can't really simulate that in a practice environment, when you have 100,000 people out there screaming and hollering at you – but I'm sure that's calmed things down for him and made him just more aware. And better. That's true of any player. The more you play, the better you're going to be.

"(Penix is) doing a great job. For a true freshman, we're certainly pleased with where Mike's at. He's competing. Even from his first day of spring practice (as a January enrollee), we've really been pleased with just his composure, with his poise. The game doesn't seem to be too fast for him.

"I credit his high school coaches and the guys in the Tampa area who have trained him over the years. They did an outstanding job. And I credit his folks for raising a real fine young man. So we've been pleased with Mike, but he has to continue to get better, just like the other guys in the room."

The three leaders in the quarterback room met with the media Tuesday and were asked to make a case for themselves, to talk about their individual strengths. All three did so, while also making a point to praise their competitors. Excerpted media questions and their responses follow:

PEYTON RAMSEY
Q: "What are your strengths?
PR: "I think, first and foremost, I've done a good job of leading. Kind of trying to prove to the guys that not only am I a leader in the locker room – I run sprints as hard as I can, warm up as hard as I can – but when we make plays, I'm going to celebrate with you and earn that trust that way.
"Secondly, I think I've done a better job of being able to push the ball down the field. My arm strength has improved. I've gotten a lot better just anticipating throws, and 'throwing guys open,' and putting it in windows and making bigger plays that way that we kind of lacked last year.

Q: How did you improve the arm strength?
PR: "It's a lot of core stuff, a lot of rotational stuff. Dr. Rhea had me working all winter and all spring, a couple of times a week doing certain arm-strength workouts that I think have kind of paid off for me.
"It's funny, looking back and watching games from last year, how much bigger and stronger that I do look. And I think it's paid off for me. Anybody getting bigger, faster and stronger, it's going to pay off. I just kind of bought into what Coach (David) Ballou and Doc (Matt) Rhea brought to us."

Q: Is there a big difference between this camp and last fall's camp for you?
PR: "It's a lot different. Lot more confident, I would say that would be my biggest thing. I've played. I know this offense pretty well. And I'm just confident out there every day, making throws, making plays, and it's been a lot of fun."

Q: "What experiences from last year kind of come back to you?
PR: "There were times when, as a young kid, I made good plays, and there were times where there were plays that, when I think about them, still make me sick to my stomach. Just missing throws … making bad reads.
"And that stuff happens. But learning from that, just being a good learner and paying attention – taking the stuff you do wrong out on the field and learning from those mistakes – I think I've done a lot better at overcoming my mistakes and failures."

Q: What have you learned about Michael and Brandon since they arrived?
PR: "They're both really, really good players. And we all have similar skill-sets. But we all do our thing a little bit differently. And a thing that has been fun is just learning from them.
"Brandon, having played in a Power 5 conference, he knows a lot of football. And Mike growing up and learning fast. And like I said, we're all very similar, but we all do things kind of differently. It's a good thing.

Q: What do you do differently?
PR: "I kind of pride myself on the film room. Knowing what's going to happen before it really happens. And that helps me play a little bit faster. It's something I didn't do as well last year, playing fast.
"I do have the ability to take off and run, and also sit back there and throw the ball, and I've definitely developed at that. And the film room helps even more than I could emphasize."

BRANDON DAWKINS
Q: Are you starting to settle in?
BD: "Definitely. Just actually getting out there and getting real reps and trying to get the install every day. We install most every day so I'm just trying to understand everything and make sure I don't get left behind and make sure I'm understanding everything. Getting a good amount of reps, so it makes it easier for me to learn that way, more so than writing it down and studying."

Q: Having not played since midway through last season, was there rust?
BD: "Definitely a little bit. Shaking it off the first couple days. It's kind of second nature to me thus far in my career, having played football most of my life. There wasn't too much rust. It's not like I took a long time off. I was also throwing the whole time not playing football."

Q: What have you learned about IU's team and program so far?
BD: "The way practices are run and everybody's very fast paced. I'll admit, the first couple days I was out here gassed. I was throwing up between drills, trying to get back on my feet. Trying to just breathe the first couple days. The way the team's been battling every day (is impressive). It's hot, but whatever. The team battles through it every day. Keeps the energy high every day."

Q: What are your strengths?
BD: "I'd say just knowledge of the game and experience. Having a lot of experience under my belt, playing in the Pac-12 for a few years and starting for a couple years, you learn a lot in the game. You see a lot of things. I just feel like that was one thing that I could maximize, using my knowledge that I've had in college football so far. (And) just the ability to extend plays. That's been something that's come naturally to me, making a guy or two miss. If things go a little haywire, just being able to make a play for the offense, either just get a first down or stretch it and maybe get a touchdown."

Q: How do you balance competitiveness and being a good teammate?
BD: "At the end of the day, I want what's best for Indiana football, whether that's me being out on the field or me coaching the guys up as much as I can. I'm never going to be salty (about) not being in the game.
"Obviously, I want to be in the game, but it's not my decision. So whatever the case may be, I want to help whichever way I can. I didn't come to Indiana just to be selfish and worried all about me. I wanted to come to a new team and do whatever I can to make the most of it. The underlying theme is I just want to win games."

Q: What are the differences of the offense you ran at Arizona under Rich Rodriguez and the one here?
BD: "(At Arizona) it was a lot of — and this is a little bit of quarterback talk — "pick a side." So we had two, dual concepts. We had certain pass concepts on the right and the left, as well as having a run option or a quarterback run option. You had a triple option you could do either throwing it or running it with yourself or with the running backs. It was pick a side where it was like a Cover 2 or Cover 4 beater on the right side, a Cover 1 or Cover 3 beater on the left side. Depending on the coverage, you work your right or your left to your check down.
"Here, it's a lot of progression reads. No matter the coverage, if one route doesn't work then you can either change the concept on that side, you can audible it yourself or you can just go to your next progression, to your third progression. That's more NFL style based."

Q: Have you found it difficult showcasing your ability to run because the quarterbacks wear blue jerseys, meaning you are essentially subject to touch-football rules in practice?
BD: "I wear a towel and they'll run by and smack my towel (and say) something like, 'Oh, he's down.'
"I'm a little bit bigger than I think these people assume. They're always like, 'You're lucky you're in a blue jersey.' I tell the defense that they're lucky I'm in a blue jersey, because if I wasn't in a blue jersey, it'd be a real ugly practice for the defense."

MICHAEL PENIX JR.
Q: Saw you applauding a play where Brandon knocked down a deflected pass to keep it from being intercepted. You guys support each other, don't you, even as you compete for a job?
MP: "It's crazy because the day before, the same thing happened to me. I actually tried to catch it. That was just a lesson learned. Next day it happened to Brandon and he did a great job trying to bat the ball down and make it a safe play. So that was a great job.
"In the quarterback room, it's a big competition going on that everybody knows about, but we're all pushing each other to do our best … it's a competition, but we're all pushing each other to do great because we want what's best for the team at the end of the day."

Q: What are your strengths?
MP: "I would say confidence. Not only in myself but also the team. Just pushing every day. I come out and work hard every day, give my all every day for the team because I feel like that's what would be best for the team. That would be one.
"Also, just knowing what's going on on the field. Not only the offense, but also the defense (and) reading coverages. Just understanding everything, all the concepts that we have going in so that we can be perfect on the field."

Q: How about your best skill?
MP: "Right now, just completing the ball as a quarterback. That's the main thing that we've focused on and I feel like I've been getting better at that aspect. That's really one of the best things right now.

Q: How about what you're doing better, overall, as a quarterback?
MP: "I'm leading a lot better, vocally. In the spring I wasn't that vocal, coming in as the youngest player on the team. I felt like it was a lot on my plate. But I did everything I could to show the team that I'm ready whenever my time is called. Overall, vocally, I've been more of a leader just talking, helping the team, pushing the team each and every day."

Q: Is it exciting for you and the numerous other Floridians on the team that the opener is in your home state?
MP: "It's very exciting. We're all working to push our hardest because that's what our focus is right now, the first game Sept. 1. We're all excited to have family there, but we just want to get the win."

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