BLOOMINGTON — Indiana State football head coach Curt Cignetti didn't say much Tuesday inside the Hoosiers' team room at Memorial Stadium, but his few words drove home a few important points.
Cignetti, wearing a red pullover with Indiana's white trident planted on his chest and an Adidas logo on the other side of the zipper, had high praise for new quarterback Curtis Rourke. Star senior receiver Donaven McCallie didn't receive the same treatment.
Cinetti didn't have much to say about the quarterback rotation going forward, as Rourke, redshirt sophomore Taven Jackson and true freshman Tyler Cherry will compete for a spot in fall camp. He said no.
Still, Cininetti was impressed with the progress Rourke made during spring practice.
“He seems to be functioning the last two practices,” Cininetti said. “He looks like a high-level quarterback.”
Rourke, who is 6-foot-5 and weighs 222 pounds, is in his sixth season in college. He is two years removed from winning the Mid-American Conference Offensive Player of the Year award and earned second-team All-MAC honors this past campaign.
Rourke is a candidate for the Medal of Honor. Jackson will be familiar to Hoosier fans as he started five games last season and remained with the program following the transfer from Tom Allen. Fired on November 26th After a season of 3 wins and 9 losses, he moved to Cignetti.
Then there's Cherry. He is the highest-rated recruit in the Hoosiers' 2024 recruiting class and the fifth-best recruit in program history, according to . 247 sports.
Like Jackson, Cherry is a native of Greenwood, Indiana, and attended Center Grove High School. Unlike Jackson, who has taken first-team snaps with Rourke, Cherry has primarily been with the third team in camp, but Cignetti is pleased with what he's seen so far.
“He's not ready yet,” Cininetti said. “He throws the ball well to the right people. His arm strength and accuracy need to improve, but for a freshman to come in and find open receivers. Keep up the good work. He's getting better every day. Enjoy a wonderful summer and fall camp.
Regardless of who ultimately gets the job, the Hoosiers quarterback will have no shortage of pass catchers at his disposal.
McCulley caught 48 passes for 644 yards and six touchdowns, earning All-Big Ten honorable mention in 2023 and is expected to be a strong option. Elijah Surratt, who followed Cignetti from James Madison University, ranked 11th in the nation with 1,191 receiving yards last season.
Also, last season's slow starter EJ Williams, who had 20 receptions for 247 yards in the final four games, the senior transfer trio of Miles Cross, Miles Price and Keshawn Williams, and the returning redshirt sophomore. There's also Omar Cooper.
Cininetti said Williams started the spring well, but missed the last three practices with a foot injury. He practiced individually at the Hoosiers' outdoor practice facility with other injured players, while the rest of the team practiced indoors at Mellencamp Pavilion.
Indiana University's receiving core is expected to be a strength again this season, and it has been strong through the first two weeks of spring practice.
“I see some guys really starting to step up,” Cininetti said. “Surratt, Miles Cross, Price are good. Ke'Sean is out. Coopers made some great plays. Just be a little more consistent.”
McCurry, who played with the second team on Tuesday, is specifically left off the list.
“I think Donaven needs to step up a little bit,” Cininetti said.
McCurry isn't alone. The Hoosiers' practices were littered with mistakes, an expected side effect of implementing a new scheme on both sides of the ball.
But the pads and helmet are on, and as Indiana University prepares for its April 18 spring game, Cininetti likes the team's trend.
“It's starting to look more like the way we're used to it,” Cininetti said. “The energy level was great. Saturday was great, and today was great. So we're progressing and we're getting better at walking off the field.”
