2021 Quarterback Preview: Michael Penix is Healthy and IU Has Talent Behind Him
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Image: Indiana University Athletics
Written by: Zach Greene (@Zgreene650)
The Hoosiers have one of their highest pre-season rankings ever (#17). That said, today, we are previewing the most critical position in the game, the Quarterbacks! Hoosier Huddle is previewing each unit for the upcoming 2021 season.
The unit is filled with talent and experience, which will guide them this upcoming season. They are led by Offensive Coordinator/QB coach Nick Sheridan who will enter his second season. It is expected that the team will carry three quarterbacks this season: one starter, a backup, and a third-string backup. Now dive more in-depth into the unit.
The Starter - Michael Penix Jr. (@themikepenix)
Coming off one of the best seasons in program history, Penix will look to continue what he did last season before tearing his right ACL. Before he tore his ACL, he led the program to a 5-1 record, beating top 25 opponents Michigan and Penn State. His stats last year are impressive. He completed 124 of 220 passes for over 1,600 yards, 14 touchdowns, and four picks. Overall, he had a 136.54 pass-efficiency rating. His remarkable stats earned Second-team All-Big-Ten and Manning Award Quarterback of the Week against Ohio State and Michigan. Look at this video of him in fall camp. Man, does he look happy to be back.
https://twitter.com/themikepenix/status/1424803699973558278?s=20
As a starter, he is 10-2 and will look to continue building his legacy at IU. Not being able to finish the season the right way will only motivate him. While many will be concerned that he won’t be the same player as last year, the talk does not seem to bother Penix. He recently stated, “I feel good. We have a lot of guys making plays, myself included. Personally, as far as the knee, I feel good. I feel like I'm ready to play. I know come September 4 I will be 100 percent ready with no concerns.”
Overall, Penix is the clear starter at Quarterback this upcoming season and will look to build off one of the best years in program history. While there were so many plays that I could show, I think that his leadership will make him an even quarterback this season. He looked outstanding in practice on Thursday and ran at least four or five sprints with a smile on his face. I bet he feels good to be back.
The Back-Up- Jack Tuttle (@jacktuttle14)
The backup position will be crucial this season, considering the health of starter Michael Penix Jr. The program had the right guy for the job last season. He took over mid-game for Penix after he got injured and was excellent. He was five for five for 31 yards in the Hoosiers 27-11 win over Maryland. After the game, the was a bunch of uncertainty on the health of Penix, but Tuttle knew that he would be the right man for the job and stayed poised.
Next, it was announced that Penix would be out for the season, which put many Hoosiers fan’s hopes for the season gone. But that was not the case. The Hoosiers were multiple point underdogs at Wisconsin the following week but played one of their best games of the season. Tuttle was 13 for 22 for 130 yards and two touchdowns. He did everything he was supposed to do and looked like a guy who had been preparing to take the field. After the win, Tom Allen was fired up for his team and gave the country one of the best post-game interviews ever.
Following the win at Wisconsin, the Hoosiers were supposed to end their regular season against Purdue. Still, it was unfortunately canceled due to COVID-19, but that did not stop the team from preparing for their upcoming bowl game. Tuttle, who knew he would start the game, did not back down. He was 26 of 45 for 201 yards one interception. While the game did not go the way they wanted, it was hard to ask more from Tuttle.
Tuttle knows that he does not have the starting job this season, but he is ok with that. This speaks to a lot of the guys that Allen has in this program. From this, Tuttle earned the team’s LEO award honors in 2020
The Third String - Donaven McCulley (@DonavenMcculley)
A 6-5, 200-pound prospect out of Indy McCulley was a four-star prospect who earned Top 50 all-state selection honors in the state of Indiana at Lawrence North High School. He was also one of three Mr. Football finalists. He ended his high school career with over 6,200 yards passing, 1,274 yards running, 47 touchdowns, and a quarterback rating of 127.1. he was ranked as the #4 dual-threat quarterback in the nation and received interest from Iowa, Cincinnati, and Central Michigan.
McCulley can do it all and is an excellent player to watch live. Here is just a snippet of what the young man can do. https://youtu.be/UzsAZ-Nrscg.
This season, McCulley will be ready for some action if needed. He looked very well during Thursday’s practice. It seemed as if he was comfortable and had an authentic feel for the game. Do not be surprised if McCulley gets some action this upcoming season.
The Walk-Ons -Zach Merrill (@zackmerrill_), Grant GremelL (@GrantGremel), Dexter Williams (@dex5will), Will Jontz (@Will_jontz)
I’ll start with redshirt sophomore Zach Merrill, who has one of the best haircuts on the team https://twitter.com/IUBarstool/status/1423695987718164483?s=20.
He walked onto the program during the 2019 fall camp and redshirted the entire season earning scout team player of the week honors against Michigan State. Last season, Merrill did not see any action and made another scout team player of the week for the game against Michigan. He also was an academic All-Big Ten selection. Out of Andrean high school in Merrillville, IN, Merrill was not highly recruited and did not receive much attention from other programs. However, he has the school record for completion at over 70 percent and had 30 touchdowns during his senior season. This season, Merrill will continue developing at Quarterback and be a critical part of the team during practices.
Next is Grant Gremel, who is also a redshirt Sophomore and from the Hoosier state. He attended Noblesville High School, where he earned very little interest from other programs. He was a two-star prospect who also walked onto the program during the fall 2019 camp. He did not play in 2019 or 2020 but earned Academic All-Big Ten Selection and offensive scout team player of the week honors against Maryland. He will also be a valuable part of the program this season.
The proceeding QB is Dexter Williams, who unfortunately tore his ACL during spring camp. Last year he developed, so he did not see any playing time, but many were high on him. Offensive Coordinator Nick Sheridan had this to say about him after it was announced that he tore his ACL.
“It’s unfortunate, and I feel for Dexter, and I know he’s disappointed,” said offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan. “But he has faith and trust that there’s a bigger plan, and he’s going to come back stronger than ever. Certainly, his development doesn’t stop mentally. Physically, you just have to make sure you’re doing the best you can, considering the injury. We’re going to continue to develop Dexter. He’s got a great attitude. He’s got a great heart. He’s a great kid.”
The young man has a bright future. Out of Mount De Sales Academy in Macon, GA, he was a three-star prospect who received very little interest from other programs. The setback and the fact that other programs slept on him will only motivate the young QB. He was the #21 dual-threat QB in the nation and displayed tremendous talent. https://247sports.com/player/dexter-williams-ii-46084717/.
The last Quarterback on the roster is Will Jontz out of Brighton, Mich. Out of Brighton High school, who was not highly recruited. He walked onto the program during the fall 2019 camp and did not see any action that season but earned multiple scout team player of the week honors against Nebraska and Ball State. Last season he did not see any action but earned offensive scout team player of the week against Ohio State and Academic All-Big Ten honors. The young man is poised to make the program better in whichever way he can.
Quarterback Room Recap
While 99.9% of the attention is being put on Michael Penix Jr. this upcoming season, the other guys in the room are just as crucial to what translates on the football field. The quarterback unit is led by an experienced and determined group that wants to end their season with a chance to win the Big Ten Championship at Lucas Oil Stadium. Coached by one rising coach in Nick Sheridan, I bet he cannot be prouder of his Quarterback unit and the amount of time and effort they put in., Now let’s sit back and pray that Michael Penix Jr. can stay healthy this season.