Senior Kurtis Rourke is nearing the conclusion of his college football career, raising the question of whether Curt Cignetti might look to the transfer portal to bring in another quarterback.

Under Big Ten Coach of the Year Curt Cignetti, Indiana Hoosiers quarterbacks have consistently excelled. Dating back to his tenure at James Madison, Cignetti’s teams have seen four consecutive quarterbacks earn conference player of the year honors. Rourke, a graduate transfer and second-team All-Big Ten selection, has been a standout for Indiana this season. He completed 70.4% of his passes for 2,827 yards, 27 touchdowns, and just four interceptions, leading the Hoosiers to a 10-1 record across 11 starts.

The only other quarterback to start this season was Tayven Jackson, a 6-foot-4, 210-pound redshirt sophomore. Jackson, a former four-star recruit, began his college career at Tennessee but transferred to Indiana after his freshman year. During his time at Tennessee, he appeared sparingly behind future NFL quarterbacks Hendon Hooker and Joe Milton III, completing 3 of 4 passes for 37 yards in 2022.

Jackson initially started the 2023-24 season for Indiana but struggled, completing 78 of 128 passes for 914 yards, two touchdowns, and five interceptions before being benched. However, he stepped in as a backup this season when Rourke suffered a thumb injury against Nebraska and performed admirably in a 31-17 win over Washington, going 11-for-19 with 124 yards, one touchdown, and one interception.

As things stand, Jackson is the projected starter for Indiana next season. Still, Cignetti is likely to explore the transfer portal for a quarterback to compete with Jackson. Indiana’s roster also includes three other quarterbacks: Roman Purcell, Alberto Mendoza, and Tyler Cherry. Cherry, a highly regarded four-star recruit and one of the top quarterback prospects in Indiana’s history, is expected to be in the mix for the starting role as well.

Although the transfer portal officially opens on Monday, Dec. 9, players can already enter their names to signal their availability for recruitment. With several talented quarterbacks likely to emerge in the portal, Cignetti has an opportunity to bolster the Hoosiers’ quarterback depth and competition heading into next season.