Indiana University Athletics
‘Tremendous Upside’ Highlights Quarterback Battle
7/6/2023 9:06:00 AM | Football
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - When it comes to Indiana's starting quarterback, who's it gonna be?
The short answer -- we don't know.
The long answer -- we'll know sometime during fall camp.
For now, we know head coach Tom Allen pushes a tough-minded approach critical to a winning season, and it begins with quarterback, the most important position in all of sports.
Brendan Sorsby and Tayven Jackson are the top contenders. As a true freshman, Broc Lowry is still learning the college game, and veteran Dexter Williams II is likely several months away from full health after knee surgery.
Spring practice provided some insight, but there's plenty of work to do before a decision is made, and that goes beyond the quarterback battle given the necessity of having a more potent and explosive offense. The Hoosiers ranked 10th in the Big Ten in scoring last year with a 23.3-point average.
"We have two young quarterbacks with a tremendous upside," Allen says. "We have to keep developing them. Our weapons have to get better. This summer will be huge."
As offensive coordinator Walt Bell says, "All three quarterbacks have the ability to be really good."
Matching production to ability requires game experience. IU coaches tried to simulate that in spring practice -- without the contact.
"The only way to master any skill in life -- weight lifting, business, boxing, wrestling -- is to go through failure," Bell says. "There will be failure every day. The best weightlifter in the world, it's not like he hasn't missed a lift or two.
"The name of the game is continuous improvement. Try to be better every day. Have a faster mindset. No one has ever had a perfect day."
Coaches pushed the spring intensity and while the quarterbacks weren't hit, they were challenged.
"As far as handling adversity," Bell says, "they did a nice job. We created a lot of adversity for them. We tried to put them in rough positions. If they can't handle us in the meat of practice, it will be hard to handle somebody on Saturday."
During the spring, which involved thousands of reps, Bell says Jackson and Sorsby were solid.
"The majority of the time they kept the ball out of harm's way. There were few turnovers. They both did a nice job of moving the ball.
"They're still young. We can clean up their mistakes. Both are physically talented and love football. They compete. They are confident in themselves."
Williams spent the spring in basically a graduate-assistant role. He was like a coach, helping with play signals and providing guidance to those practicing.
"I think that's good for him, not only from the mental side, but his general outlook," Bell says.
Famed orthopedic surgeon James Andrews operated on Williams, a reflection of IU's strong medical care for its athletes.
"The fact (Andrews) did the surgery speaks for itself," Bell says.
Williams has begun running and, Bell adds, is doing everything he's supposed to do.
"He's doing great, but in terms of being ahead of schedule, or behind schedule, that's way above my ability level. He's a great kid. I can't wait to get him back."
Allen has said when Williams is physically ready, he'll get a chance to compete for the starting job.
Jackson's transfer from Tennessee created instant buzz, partly because he's the younger brother of IU All-America basketball player Trayce Jackson-Davis, mostly because he was a four-star prospect out of nearby Center Grove High School and twice led the Trojans to 14-0 records and Class 6A state titles. Like Sorsby, he has run-pass ability crucial for an offense that wants to attack defenses with all available weapons.
Allen and his staff recruited Jackson hard, but ultimately lost out to Tennessee. They made the most of their second chance.
Bell says he was in Los Angeles recruiting a transfer quarterback when word broke Jackson was considering joining the Hoosiers.
"As I walk out of the house, Coach Allen calls and says get on a plane. I look at my phone, and I have 97 messages that said Tayven is in the transfer portal. I took a redeye flight to Bloomington. I landed and came to the building in the clothes I was traveling in.
"It was not a true recruitment. We had a day with him, and he decided to come. That was it."
Not having an established quarterback isn't necessarily a bad thing, Bell adds.
"Our quarterback room is right where it needs to be. The guys are athletic; they can move; they have the physical ability to throw and distribute the ball. I feel good about that.
"So many times, when you have a proven guy, it's hard to hold the other 10 on offense to a high standard when you're not holding the quarterback to a high standard. When you have a legit competition and every rep matters, it bleeds into everyone's performance."
The short answer -- we don't know.
The long answer -- we'll know sometime during fall camp.
For now, we know head coach Tom Allen pushes a tough-minded approach critical to a winning season, and it begins with quarterback, the most important position in all of sports.
Brendan Sorsby and Tayven Jackson are the top contenders. As a true freshman, Broc Lowry is still learning the college game, and veteran Dexter Williams II is likely several months away from full health after knee surgery.
Spring practice provided some insight, but there's plenty of work to do before a decision is made, and that goes beyond the quarterback battle given the necessity of having a more potent and explosive offense. The Hoosiers ranked 10th in the Big Ten in scoring last year with a 23.3-point average.
"We have two young quarterbacks with a tremendous upside," Allen says. "We have to keep developing them. Our weapons have to get better. This summer will be huge."
As offensive coordinator Walt Bell says, "All three quarterbacks have the ability to be really good."
Matching production to ability requires game experience. IU coaches tried to simulate that in spring practice -- without the contact.
"The only way to master any skill in life -- weight lifting, business, boxing, wrestling -- is to go through failure," Bell says. "There will be failure every day. The best weightlifter in the world, it's not like he hasn't missed a lift or two.
"The name of the game is continuous improvement. Try to be better every day. Have a faster mindset. No one has ever had a perfect day."
Coaches pushed the spring intensity and while the quarterbacks weren't hit, they were challenged.
"As far as handling adversity," Bell says, "they did a nice job. We created a lot of adversity for them. We tried to put them in rough positions. If they can't handle us in the meat of practice, it will be hard to handle somebody on Saturday."
During the spring, which involved thousands of reps, Bell says Jackson and Sorsby were solid.
"The majority of the time they kept the ball out of harm's way. There were few turnovers. They both did a nice job of moving the ball.
"They're still young. We can clean up their mistakes. Both are physically talented and love football. They compete. They are confident in themselves."
Williams spent the spring in basically a graduate-assistant role. He was like a coach, helping with play signals and providing guidance to those practicing.
"I think that's good for him, not only from the mental side, but his general outlook," Bell says.
Famed orthopedic surgeon James Andrews operated on Williams, a reflection of IU's strong medical care for its athletes.
"The fact (Andrews) did the surgery speaks for itself," Bell says.
Williams has begun running and, Bell adds, is doing everything he's supposed to do.
"He's doing great, but in terms of being ahead of schedule, or behind schedule, that's way above my ability level. He's a great kid. I can't wait to get him back."
Allen has said when Williams is physically ready, he'll get a chance to compete for the starting job.
Jackson's transfer from Tennessee created instant buzz, partly because he's the younger brother of IU All-America basketball player Trayce Jackson-Davis, mostly because he was a four-star prospect out of nearby Center Grove High School and twice led the Trojans to 14-0 records and Class 6A state titles. Like Sorsby, he has run-pass ability crucial for an offense that wants to attack defenses with all available weapons.
Allen and his staff recruited Jackson hard, but ultimately lost out to Tennessee. They made the most of their second chance.
Bell says he was in Los Angeles recruiting a transfer quarterback when word broke Jackson was considering joining the Hoosiers.
"As I walk out of the house, Coach Allen calls and says get on a plane. I look at my phone, and I have 97 messages that said Tayven is in the transfer portal. I took a redeye flight to Bloomington. I landed and came to the building in the clothes I was traveling in.
"It was not a true recruitment. We had a day with him, and he decided to come. That was it."
Not having an established quarterback isn't necessarily a bad thing, Bell adds.
"Our quarterback room is right where it needs to be. The guys are athletic; they can move; they have the physical ability to throw and distribute the ball. I feel good about that.
"So many times, when you have a proven guy, it's hard to hold the other 10 on offense to a high standard when you're not holding the quarterback to a high standard. When you have a legit competition and every rep matters, it bleeds into everyone's performance."
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