COLUMN: 3 things to watch for in Indiana Football’s offense

There has never been a better time to be a fan of Indiana football than now. Since hiring Curt Cignetti in November 2023, the Hoosiers are gearing up to be a real player in the Big Ten for years to come. With one of the best transfer classes, four new Big Ten teams, and plenty of great one-liners from the coaching staff, the Indiana Hoosiers are ready to go.

Here are three things to watch for on Indiana’s offense this year.

Indiana acquired quarterback Kurtis Rourke from Ohio University to lead a new offense in his final season of college football. After spending the last five seasons with the Bobcats in Athens, Ohio, Rourke looks to lead the Hoosiers to new heights.

In his junior season in 2022, Rourke had a phenomenal year, throwing for 3,257 yards, 25 touchdowns, and four interceptions. Not to mention, he was also MAC Offensive Player of the Year and won the Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl. However, after tearing his ACL in November 2022, Rourke was already behind for the start of 2023.

While most Bobcat fans believed Rourke was fully healthy and looking to build on the 10-4 2022 season, he suffered an unrelated injury in the first half of the first game of the 2023 season. He missed the next two games before returning to his peak form. Rourke finished the season passing for 2,207 yards, 11 touchdowns and five interceptions in 11 games. His best game came in week six against Kent State University, where he completed 20 of 32 passes for 300 passing yards and four total touchdowns, including one rushing.

After a full, healthy offseason and getting into a completely new system, Rourke is ready to get back to his best football. He works well with the receivers in practice and during his time in Ohio, he always found a way to throw the ball where only his receiver could reach it. His work with quarterback coach Tino Sunseri will show, but the receiving room will also help Rourke settle in.

Ke’Shawn Williams, possible move to the depth of the WR room

One of Cignetti’s biggest accomplishments in the transfer portal was revamping the wide receiver department. Not only did he bring in senior Elijah Sarratt from James Madison University, but he also jumped right into the Power Four and brought in players like Myles Price (Texas Tech University), Miles Cross (Ohio) and Ke’Shawn Williams (Wake Forest University). Those four players alone would make up one of the most talented corps in the Big Ten, but retaining Donovan McCulley, EJ Williams and Omar Cooper Jr. takes Indiana’s wide receivers to a whole new level.

Sarratt is an example of the transfer class after catching 82 passes for 1,191 yards and eight touchdowns last season with the Dukes and scoring a single rushing touchdown on his only run of the season.

Price, a transfer from Texas Tech, also looks to shine in 2024, especially in pass catching this season. That wouldn’t be surprising given the close connection he seems to have with Rourke after he caught 43 passes for 410 yards and five touchdowns last season.

Cross, who joined the Hoosiers just four days after Rourke, was Ohio’s second-leading receiver last season, finishing with 47 catches and five receiving touchdowns, tied for the most receiving touchdowns. He caught two of Rourke’s three passing touchdowns against Kent State, also rushing for 125 yards.

Williams has a chance to be the most underrated player of all. We’ve seen the hype around Sarratt and Price, and we know the connection Rourke has with Cross. But where does Williams fit in all of this? He’ll be the energy boost the Hoosiers need.

“[Williams] “was probably – next to Zay Flowers – the best route runner I ever played against,” said former Wake Forest cornerback (now with the San Francisco 49ers) Malik Mustapha during Wake Forest’s Pro Day.

The practice and footage show it. He can beat a defender down the field and then jump up to catch the ball. That strength paired with Williams’ outstanding speed makes him a game-changing wide receiver. Passing is only half of what Indiana will do on the field this season, and with a backfield like the Hoosiers acquired this offseason, there are plenty of options.

After the departure of Jaylin Lucas, who now plays at Florida State University, Cignetti and Co. had to sign two or three top-class running backs. The Hoosiers signed five: three of them (Kaelon Black, Ty Son Lawton and Solomon Vanhorse) were teammates at James Madison last season.

While Vanhorse will provide plenty of depth in the back end of the running back room, Black and Lawton will make an impact from the first game. The two backs led the Dukes in the running game last season, combining for 1,205 yards and six touchdowns. By comparison, Indiana only ran for 1,451 yards as a team last season.

Justice Ellison, who is transferring from Wake Forest, is looking to make a huge jump in his first year in Bloomington in 2024 after rushing for 1,909 yards and 15 touchdowns in his four years with the Demon Deacons. Although he carried the ball 29 fewer times last season than he will in 2022, Ellison is expected to become one of the most important parts of Indiana’s offense. The Hoosiers also managed to sign Elijah Green from the University of North Carolina, who saw minimal playing time last season.

Indiana’s offense has everything in place: a solid quarterback, top-notch wide receivers and running backs who are dangerous every time the ball touches their hands. The only thing the Hoosiers need to do now is go out there and put it all together. Despite the initial struggles and changes that will happen throughout the season, the offense will get there – and has the potential to be one of the strongest in the Big Ten this season.

The Hoosiers begin their season at 3:30 p.m. against Florida International University. Saturday at Memorial Stadium.

Follow reporters Daniel Flick (@ByDanielFlick) and Dalton James (@DaltonMJames) and columnist Jhett Garrett (@jhettgarrett) for updates throughout the Indiana football season.