Written by Sammy Jacobs (@Hoosier_Huddle)

The Indiana quarterback room will look a little different this spring as Peyton Ramsey has moved on and early enrollee Dexter Williams joins the fray. The good news for the Hoosiers is that Michael Penix, who started seven games last season before injuries derailed his season, is back and full cleared to participate in spring ball. Jack Tuttle is also 100-percent after battling mononucleosis last spring. The Hoosier quarterbacks will be working under new offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan, who will have the eyes of Hoosier Nation staring down at him as he tries to replace Kalen DeBoer.

NOTE: The player’s class reflects the 2020 season

Michael Penix, RS Sophomore- Penix won the starting job in 2019 in fall camp and performed well. He completed 110-of-160 passes (68.8%) for 1,394 yards with 10 touchdown passes and four interceptions. However, injuries limited him to seven games and raised major concerns about his durability. To try combat his injury issues, Penix has put on 15 pounds in the off-season.

This spring Penix will need to work on learning the nuances of Sheridan’s offense while building chemistry with receivers, especially younger receivers like Jacolby Hewitt, Jordan Jakes, David Ellis and Deshaun Brown. Additionally, it will go a long way to soothe concerns if Penix can get through the entire spring session with no injuries.

Jack Tuttle, RS Sophomore- Tuttle’s role expanded, as he will back-up Penix, when Peyton Ramsey entered the transfer portal. Tuttle transferred to IU from Utah and was a four-star recruit out of high school. He participated in spring practice last year, but it was cut short due to an illness.

Tuttle played in five games in mop up duty in 2019. He threw only 11 passes for 34 yards while rushing for 20 yards. Tuttle will get a chance to showcase his skills more this spring and will have to prove that he can push Penix for reps. As Hoosier fans saw last season, a capable backup is a necessity in the Big Ten.

Dexter Williams, Freshman- Williams in the fresh face in the quarterback room as he decided to enroll early and participate in spring practice. He is a dynamic athlete who can get the ball down field with the flick of his wrist and create plays with his legs. The Macon, Georgia native is listed at six-foot-one and 210 pounds.

For Williams spring practice gives him an early start to his college career, but he will start as the clear third-string quarterback behind Tuttle and Penix. In order to potentially see the field in 2020, Williams will have to learn the playbook and be competent in his reads while running the offense. With the four-game redshirt rule and Indiana’s softer non-conference schedule, playing time should be an attainable goal for the youngster.

Zack Merrill, RS Freshman- Merrill joined the program as a walk-on last fall after a stellar high school career at Andrean in Hobart, Indiana. During his senior year he completed 70.3-percent of his passes for 2,401 yards and 30 touchdowns. At IU Merrill took home Scout Team Player of the Week honors for his efforts leading up the Michigan game. While Merrill may not see the field in 2020, his contributions on scout team are invaluable and spring practice is his chance to improve his skills.

Grant Gremel, RS Freshman- Gremel walked on to the IU program in 2019 after playing at Noblesville High School. He chose to walk-on at IU over taking a scholarship offer from Florida Atlantic.

Will Jontz, RS Freshman- Jontz has been the best of the walk-ons for Indiana. He joined the program last fall and took home Scout Team Player of the Week honors twice (Ball State and Nebraska. The Brighton, Michigan native is a terrific athlete as he lettered in football, basketball and track. He holds the school record in the 4x200 relay at Brighton H.S.

If Dexter Williams is not ready to be the third-string quarterback yet, Jontz will probably get that role. People may not pay attention to that battle, it could be important if injuries pop up again for IU.

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Spring Practice 2020 Position Preview-Quarterbacks

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