McCulley Making the Most of the Opportunity
11/4/2021 9:30:00 AM | Football
By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Donaven McCulley wasn't expecting it.
Can you blame him?
It was at the start of Indiana's August football camp and McCulley was the third string true freshman quarterback behind veterans Michael Penix Jr. and Jack Tuttle. He figured to ease into a scout-team role, then ratchet up for a starting opportunity a year or two later.
He figured wrong.
"I didn't know the coaches were going to be as hard on me as they were," he says with a smile. "I got used to it. It was a smooth transition."
In college, when a coach says he will coach you better, brace yourself.
A group hug isn't coming.
When head coach Tom Allen and his staff tell players they will coach them hard, they aren't kidding. It's to prepare them for Big Ten ferocity in general, Saturday night at Michigan in particular.
The No. 7 Wolverines (7-1) are steaming after a loss to in-state rival Michigan State, and they'll want to take it out on the next opponent, which happens to be the Hoosiers (2-6).
They'd better be ready, and it starts with the quarterback.
Even in August, months before McCulley's injury-fueled rise up the depth chart, the plan was to accelerate his learning curve.
He wasn't getting many first-team reps. Not with the necessity of preparing Penix and Tuttle.
Still, offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan wanted to give McCulley some work. He wanted to ensure this four-star, dual-threat prospect had the right focus and attention to detail.
"I messed up a read," McCulley says with a laugh. "Coach Sheridan ripped me. I wasn't expecting it. That was crazy."
No crazier than the rash of quarterback injuries that caused Hoosier coaches to rip up their plans to redshirt McCulley.
The catalyst -- Penix's throwing shoulder injury at Penn State in early October. Tuttle's lower body injury early against Ohio State followed a couple of weeks later.
"It went fast," McCulley says. "I didn't think I was going to be a starter at this level that fast. I thought I was going to play a little bit, but I had to adjust. You can't blink. That is all it is, you just can't blink."
McCulley didn't blink last Saturday at Maryland, when he threw for an IU true freshman record 242 passing yards while not committing a turnover. That was huge given all the turnovers Hoosier quarterbacks had committed in the previous seven games.
"For a young player to go out there, I thought he was competitive, he was tough, and those are great qualities to have playing that position," Sheridan says. "He demonstrated the ability to compete for four quarters, for 60 minutes, to be tough, to continue to play the next play. I was impressed by that. Sometimes you don't know until they get out there. I was impressed by his competitiveness. I was proud of him."
So was Allen, who recognized McCulley's potential the first time he saw him. It was during a summer camp while McCulley was still at Indianapolis Lawrence North High School.
"I remember back when we first saw him throw," Allen says. "He was young, but the way he naturally threw the football, the way the ball came off his hand, was impressive.
"I knew he was a three-sport guy and was naturally (gifted). There's a competitive toughness to him. He doesn't back down. He attacks things and believes in himself. He has a calm demeanor and doesn't get frazzled. He has the ability to extend plays, find guys open down the field and if he has to run it, he can run it."
McCulley models himself after former do-it-all NFL quarterback Randall Cunningham, who threw for 29,979 yards and 207 touchdowns, rushed for 4,928 yards and 35 TDs in 16 pro seasons (most with the Philadelphia Eagles), and once unleashed a 91-yard punt that ranks fourth in league history.
"My brother told me about Cunningham, so I started watching his highlights," McCulley says. "I loved his playing style. I tried to model my style after him. He could make plays; he could do anything on the field."
Allen says the 6-5, 215-pound McCulley could eventually get to 220 to 225 pounds, which will protect him against the big hits certain to come.
"I'm working with the strength staff," McCulley says. "They are trying to get me faster and get my weight right. I am confident in their ability to make me a better athlete."
McCulley's baptism of college fire came in his Hoosier debut against Michigan State a couple of weeks ago. He ran twice for eight yards, but that didn't leave the biggest impression on him.
"I got knocked down and I just popped up," he says. "It's about not letting anyone see you blink."
He'll need that approach at Michigan's Big House with its 106,000 or so fans.
"It doesn't get better than that," he says. "It will prepare me for other big games."
McCulley made a huge jump from his 1-for-6 effort against Ohio State to his slow start at Maryland to the 8-for-10 passing finish.
"I just slowed myself down," he says. "I was moving too fast. Once I did that, everything started flowing."
It flowed much better than it did against Michigan State, when his mindset was, "Protect the ball and get as many yards as I can."
It's all part of the learning curve everyone goes through – learning the playbook as well as how to read defenses designed to confuse you.
"Sometimes they try to disguise stuff and throw different things at you, so you've just got to know — you've got to watch a lot of film," McCulley says. "You've got to know what they are doing on certain downs and how they are going to play in certain formations."
McCulley has no regrets about staying at Lawrence North for a shot at the Class 4A state basketball title last spring rather than enroll at IU for the second semester to get a jump on the college game.
"I wouldn't trade that for anything," he says.
Lawrence North went 28-3 and reached the state championship game before losing to Carmel in overtime. McCulley had 11 points and three rebounds.
That experience, he says, will help this season in football, and beyond.
"Where I'm from, basketball is big. Playing in big games is a normal thing. That helps me out in playing in big games in football.
"The sectional games, the state championship game, all the playoffs were amazing. The crowds were outstanding."
Starting at quarterback earlier than expected isn't new to McCulley. It happened in high school.
During his sophomore year at Lawrence North, older brother, Derin, projected as the starting quarterback. Instead, Derin moved to cornerback so Donaven could take over at quarterback.
"We decided we both wanted to go D-I, so he said, 'I can play cornerback, you can play quarterback, and we can both get on the field and have a better chance of getting a scholarship,'" McCulley says. "That's what we did.
"He gave up his spot so we could both be on the field. That helped me grow up. I got used to the speed of the game."
Quarterback demands leadership. That's extra challenging when you are younger and less experienced than everybody else.
"It's being more vocal," McCulley says. "I have the confidence. Those guys believe in me and follow me. It's having the poise of a great leader."
IU's veteran quarterbacks are there for McCulley. During the Michigan State game, when McCulley returned to the sidelines, Penix was, "Encouraging me and giving me the confidence to go out there and do it again."
Tuttle, Grant Gremel, and Will Jontz have also helped.
"They have been the ultimate leaders to me," McCulley says. "I look up to those guys. They help me to get comfortable, to make better reads, to learn all of my plays, and made sure I'm studying and caught up. They have done a good job preparing me."
McCulley also has done the job in preparing himself.
"I love his attitude," Allen says. "I love the way he approaches things every day.
"He's a humble guy. He's a great teammate. He's a hard worker. A lot of good qualities that makes you excited to have him."
Receiver Ty Fryfogle shares that excitement.
"Donaven is special. He has a big arm. What I really like about him is he can move. I've never been around a guy who can move like this throughout the pocket.
"I think in the years to come, he will lead this team to a Big Ten championship."
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Donaven McCulley wasn't expecting it.
Can you blame him?
It was at the start of Indiana's August football camp and McCulley was the third string true freshman quarterback behind veterans Michael Penix Jr. and Jack Tuttle. He figured to ease into a scout-team role, then ratchet up for a starting opportunity a year or two later.
He figured wrong.
"I didn't know the coaches were going to be as hard on me as they were," he says with a smile. "I got used to it. It was a smooth transition."
In college, when a coach says he will coach you better, brace yourself.
A group hug isn't coming.
When head coach Tom Allen and his staff tell players they will coach them hard, they aren't kidding. It's to prepare them for Big Ten ferocity in general, Saturday night at Michigan in particular.
The No. 7 Wolverines (7-1) are steaming after a loss to in-state rival Michigan State, and they'll want to take it out on the next opponent, which happens to be the Hoosiers (2-6).
They'd better be ready, and it starts with the quarterback.
Even in August, months before McCulley's injury-fueled rise up the depth chart, the plan was to accelerate his learning curve.
He wasn't getting many first-team reps. Not with the necessity of preparing Penix and Tuttle.
Still, offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan wanted to give McCulley some work. He wanted to ensure this four-star, dual-threat prospect had the right focus and attention to detail.
"I messed up a read," McCulley says with a laugh. "Coach Sheridan ripped me. I wasn't expecting it. That was crazy."
No crazier than the rash of quarterback injuries that caused Hoosier coaches to rip up their plans to redshirt McCulley.
The catalyst -- Penix's throwing shoulder injury at Penn State in early October. Tuttle's lower body injury early against Ohio State followed a couple of weeks later.
"It went fast," McCulley says. "I didn't think I was going to be a starter at this level that fast. I thought I was going to play a little bit, but I had to adjust. You can't blink. That is all it is, you just can't blink."
McCulley didn't blink last Saturday at Maryland, when he threw for an IU true freshman record 242 passing yards while not committing a turnover. That was huge given all the turnovers Hoosier quarterbacks had committed in the previous seven games.
"For a young player to go out there, I thought he was competitive, he was tough, and those are great qualities to have playing that position," Sheridan says. "He demonstrated the ability to compete for four quarters, for 60 minutes, to be tough, to continue to play the next play. I was impressed by that. Sometimes you don't know until they get out there. I was impressed by his competitiveness. I was proud of him."
So was Allen, who recognized McCulley's potential the first time he saw him. It was during a summer camp while McCulley was still at Indianapolis Lawrence North High School.
"I remember back when we first saw him throw," Allen says. "He was young, but the way he naturally threw the football, the way the ball came off his hand, was impressive.
"I knew he was a three-sport guy and was naturally (gifted). There's a competitive toughness to him. He doesn't back down. He attacks things and believes in himself. He has a calm demeanor and doesn't get frazzled. He has the ability to extend plays, find guys open down the field and if he has to run it, he can run it."
McCulley models himself after former do-it-all NFL quarterback Randall Cunningham, who threw for 29,979 yards and 207 touchdowns, rushed for 4,928 yards and 35 TDs in 16 pro seasons (most with the Philadelphia Eagles), and once unleashed a 91-yard punt that ranks fourth in league history.
"My brother told me about Cunningham, so I started watching his highlights," McCulley says. "I loved his playing style. I tried to model my style after him. He could make plays; he could do anything on the field."
Allen says the 6-5, 215-pound McCulley could eventually get to 220 to 225 pounds, which will protect him against the big hits certain to come.
"I'm working with the strength staff," McCulley says. "They are trying to get me faster and get my weight right. I am confident in their ability to make me a better athlete."
McCulley's baptism of college fire came in his Hoosier debut against Michigan State a couple of weeks ago. He ran twice for eight yards, but that didn't leave the biggest impression on him.
"I got knocked down and I just popped up," he says. "It's about not letting anyone see you blink."
He'll need that approach at Michigan's Big House with its 106,000 or so fans.
"It doesn't get better than that," he says. "It will prepare me for other big games."
McCulley made a huge jump from his 1-for-6 effort against Ohio State to his slow start at Maryland to the 8-for-10 passing finish.
"I just slowed myself down," he says. "I was moving too fast. Once I did that, everything started flowing."
It flowed much better than it did against Michigan State, when his mindset was, "Protect the ball and get as many yards as I can."
It's all part of the learning curve everyone goes through – learning the playbook as well as how to read defenses designed to confuse you.
"Sometimes they try to disguise stuff and throw different things at you, so you've just got to know — you've got to watch a lot of film," McCulley says. "You've got to know what they are doing on certain downs and how they are going to play in certain formations."
McCulley has no regrets about staying at Lawrence North for a shot at the Class 4A state basketball title last spring rather than enroll at IU for the second semester to get a jump on the college game.
"I wouldn't trade that for anything," he says.
Lawrence North went 28-3 and reached the state championship game before losing to Carmel in overtime. McCulley had 11 points and three rebounds.
That experience, he says, will help this season in football, and beyond.
"Where I'm from, basketball is big. Playing in big games is a normal thing. That helps me out in playing in big games in football.
"The sectional games, the state championship game, all the playoffs were amazing. The crowds were outstanding."
Starting at quarterback earlier than expected isn't new to McCulley. It happened in high school.
During his sophomore year at Lawrence North, older brother, Derin, projected as the starting quarterback. Instead, Derin moved to cornerback so Donaven could take over at quarterback.
"We decided we both wanted to go D-I, so he said, 'I can play cornerback, you can play quarterback, and we can both get on the field and have a better chance of getting a scholarship,'" McCulley says. "That's what we did.
"He gave up his spot so we could both be on the field. That helped me grow up. I got used to the speed of the game."
Quarterback demands leadership. That's extra challenging when you are younger and less experienced than everybody else.
"It's being more vocal," McCulley says. "I have the confidence. Those guys believe in me and follow me. It's having the poise of a great leader."
IU's veteran quarterbacks are there for McCulley. During the Michigan State game, when McCulley returned to the sidelines, Penix was, "Encouraging me and giving me the confidence to go out there and do it again."
Tuttle, Grant Gremel, and Will Jontz have also helped.
"They have been the ultimate leaders to me," McCulley says. "I look up to those guys. They help me to get comfortable, to make better reads, to learn all of my plays, and made sure I'm studying and caught up. They have done a good job preparing me."
McCulley also has done the job in preparing himself.
"I love his attitude," Allen says. "I love the way he approaches things every day.
"He's a humble guy. He's a great teammate. He's a hard worker. A lot of good qualities that makes you excited to have him."
Receiver Ty Fryfogle shares that excitement.
"Donaven is special. He has a big arm. What I really like about him is he can move. I've never been around a guy who can move like this throughout the pocket.
"I think in the years to come, he will lead this team to a Big Ten championship."
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