Indiana University Athletics
High Expectations -- Michael Penix Jr. Poised for Big Season
6/29/2020 9:00:00 AM | Football
By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Michael Penix Jr. is Indiana's undisputed starting quarterback, and the heat is on.
So is the opportunity.
If Penix delivers, and the strong-armed redshirt sophomore is poised to do just that, the Hoosiers could thrive as they haven't in a generation.
Penix is IU's unanimous No. 1 quarterback. With the Hoosiers returning a ton of talent on both sides of the ball, prospects couldn't be brighter.
Head coach Tom Allen made certain Penix understands the stakes.
"We've talked about expectations," Allen says. "Step No. 1 was really embracing being a starter in the Big Ten. What does that look like? What do those expectations look like? Mapping that out for him.
"At the top of the list is how do you prepare? That's in every phase. That's your eating habits, your sleeping habits. That's your film study habits. That's your leadership development.
"As you grow and become a year older in this program, expectations grow. You set those out, you talk him through them, then you hold him accountable for the behavior."
Accountability has this bottom-line reality -- quarterbacks are defined more by victories than statistics. No other position has this burden. No other position gets so much glory when games are won, or criticism when they are not.
"I've said this before, the head coach and the starting quarterback are very similar," Allen says. "They have to be able to handle the pressures that come with the position. The pats on the back. The criticism. The good and the bad, and manage it all. Not let any of those things affect you in a negative way."
Penix has not. In fact, he's thrived in it.
Take last season at Michigan State, his first career road start. In front of more than 70,000 Spartan fans, he was 33-for-42 (78.6 percent) for 286 yards and three touchdowns against a fierce defense. Penix also completed a school-record 20-straight completions, the second-longest streak in conference history.
That he couldn't lead the Hoosiers to a victory (Michigan State scored 9 points in the closing seconds to snap a 31-31 tie) didn't diminish the significance. He earned his second Big Ten Freshman-of-the-Week award.
"He's very even keeled in his personality, and the way he handles pressure and stress," Allen says. "That's a great thing for him."
Penix has three more years to show what great things can mean, and it starts with preparation. The pandemic-caused separation doesn't diminish that.
"I've been encouraged by his growth," Allen says. "Encouraged by the process he's going through to put himself in position to respond to the challenges we've given him for those expectations. What he needs to do to be the leader of this team, the face of the program. Every quarterback has to own that responsibility, even through times like this.
"You have to handle yourself in the proper way."
No Hoosier quarterback has ever been more accurate than Penix was last season, when in six games he completed 68.8 percent of his passes. That ranks sixth in Big Ten history.
He threw for 1,394 yards with 10 touchdowns and four interceptions. He also ran for 118 yards on just 22 attempts. The numbers would have been even better, but an injury sidelined him for the last couple of months of the season.
Now, it's Penix's team, with Jack Tuttle and Dexter Williams II as backups.
To improve his durability, Penix gained nearly 20 pounds before spring practice, and is now listed at 6-3 and 218 pounds. The goal is to get him big and strong enough to withstand the punishment that he couldn't in his first two seasons.
"Eating healthy is a huge part of that," Allen says. "Gaining good weight. Good body mass. Can you take the hits that are going to be given in this league?"
In three games as a true freshman in 2018, Penix threw for 219 yards and one touchdown while completing 61.8 percent of his passes. He appeared on the verge of taking over the starting job, but a season-ending knee injury ended that opportunity.
Last season, Penix made instant impact, first by beating out veteran Peyton Ramsey for the starting job, then winning Big Ten Freshman-of-the-Week honors for his season-opening performance against Ball State at Indianapolis' Lucas Oil Stadium.
He threw for 326 yards and a touchdown. He also ran for 67 yards.
The only other Hoosier freshman quarterback to throw for more than 300 yards in his starting debut was Antwan Randle El.
Penix showed signs of Big Ten potential during a standout career at Tampa Bay Tech High School. In two years as a starter, he threw for 61 touchdowns against just six interceptions.
Beyond that, he ran a 22.8-second 200-meter dash and long jumped 22 feet in track. He also played center field on the baseball team.
That athleticism was what Allen wanted in his balanced offense to put maximum pressure on a defense.
If Penix stays healthy, that could really pay off this season.
"I want him to continue to grow and develop as a leader, and physically mature into his position," Allen says. "I'm excited for him, excited for our future with him."
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Michael Penix Jr. is Indiana's undisputed starting quarterback, and the heat is on.
So is the opportunity.
If Penix delivers, and the strong-armed redshirt sophomore is poised to do just that, the Hoosiers could thrive as they haven't in a generation.
Penix is IU's unanimous No. 1 quarterback. With the Hoosiers returning a ton of talent on both sides of the ball, prospects couldn't be brighter.
Head coach Tom Allen made certain Penix understands the stakes.
"We've talked about expectations," Allen says. "Step No. 1 was really embracing being a starter in the Big Ten. What does that look like? What do those expectations look like? Mapping that out for him.
"At the top of the list is how do you prepare? That's in every phase. That's your eating habits, your sleeping habits. That's your film study habits. That's your leadership development.
"As you grow and become a year older in this program, expectations grow. You set those out, you talk him through them, then you hold him accountable for the behavior."
Accountability has this bottom-line reality -- quarterbacks are defined more by victories than statistics. No other position has this burden. No other position gets so much glory when games are won, or criticism when they are not.
"I've said this before, the head coach and the starting quarterback are very similar," Allen says. "They have to be able to handle the pressures that come with the position. The pats on the back. The criticism. The good and the bad, and manage it all. Not let any of those things affect you in a negative way."
Penix has not. In fact, he's thrived in it.
Take last season at Michigan State, his first career road start. In front of more than 70,000 Spartan fans, he was 33-for-42 (78.6 percent) for 286 yards and three touchdowns against a fierce defense. Penix also completed a school-record 20-straight completions, the second-longest streak in conference history.
That he couldn't lead the Hoosiers to a victory (Michigan State scored 9 points in the closing seconds to snap a 31-31 tie) didn't diminish the significance. He earned his second Big Ten Freshman-of-the-Week award.
"He's very even keeled in his personality, and the way he handles pressure and stress," Allen says. "That's a great thing for him."
Penix has three more years to show what great things can mean, and it starts with preparation. The pandemic-caused separation doesn't diminish that.
"I've been encouraged by his growth," Allen says. "Encouraged by the process he's going through to put himself in position to respond to the challenges we've given him for those expectations. What he needs to do to be the leader of this team, the face of the program. Every quarterback has to own that responsibility, even through times like this.
"You have to handle yourself in the proper way."
No Hoosier quarterback has ever been more accurate than Penix was last season, when in six games he completed 68.8 percent of his passes. That ranks sixth in Big Ten history.
He threw for 1,394 yards with 10 touchdowns and four interceptions. He also ran for 118 yards on just 22 attempts. The numbers would have been even better, but an injury sidelined him for the last couple of months of the season.
Now, it's Penix's team, with Jack Tuttle and Dexter Williams II as backups.
To improve his durability, Penix gained nearly 20 pounds before spring practice, and is now listed at 6-3 and 218 pounds. The goal is to get him big and strong enough to withstand the punishment that he couldn't in his first two seasons.
"Eating healthy is a huge part of that," Allen says. "Gaining good weight. Good body mass. Can you take the hits that are going to be given in this league?"
In three games as a true freshman in 2018, Penix threw for 219 yards and one touchdown while completing 61.8 percent of his passes. He appeared on the verge of taking over the starting job, but a season-ending knee injury ended that opportunity.
Last season, Penix made instant impact, first by beating out veteran Peyton Ramsey for the starting job, then winning Big Ten Freshman-of-the-Week honors for his season-opening performance against Ball State at Indianapolis' Lucas Oil Stadium.
He threw for 326 yards and a touchdown. He also ran for 67 yards.
The only other Hoosier freshman quarterback to throw for more than 300 yards in his starting debut was Antwan Randle El.
Penix showed signs of Big Ten potential during a standout career at Tampa Bay Tech High School. In two years as a starter, he threw for 61 touchdowns against just six interceptions.
Beyond that, he ran a 22.8-second 200-meter dash and long jumped 22 feet in track. He also played center field on the baseball team.
That athleticism was what Allen wanted in his balanced offense to put maximum pressure on a defense.
If Penix stays healthy, that could really pay off this season.
"I want him to continue to grow and develop as a leader, and physically mature into his position," Allen says. "I'm excited for him, excited for our future with him."
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