2022 Indiana Football Positional Previews: Quarterbacks

Written by: Nate Comp (@NathanComp1)

Indiana returns three players that started at least one game at quarterback last season, but the final decision on who will enter the season as the Hoosiers’ QB1 is anything but clear. Michael Penix Jr has transferred to Washington. Donaven McCulley has switched positions to wide receiver. Tom Allen and his staff have gone out and grabbed Connor Bazelak from Missouri via the transfer portal. Last year’s QB2 Jack Tuttle is back for another season. Walk-on and starter of last year’s Old Oaken Bucket game Grant Gremel also returns. And finally, Dexter Williams returns from an ACL injury and has impressed coaches this fall.

Add in new offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Walt Bell, and one is left with more questions than answers. We will hope to clear a bit of this confusion in today’s quarterback position preview.

The Starter(s)

Jack Tuttle, Redshirt Senior, 6’4” 212 Pounds

Coach Allen has made it clear that there will be just one player named the starting quarterback this season, but he is not planning on making this decision public until kickoff of the first game. The competition is believed to have been narrowed, however, to two men: Jack Tuttle and Connor Bazelak. Tuttle appeared in six games and started two last season, completing 45-of-87 pass attempts for two touchdowns against five interceptions. Tuttle has played in 14 games for Indiana since transferring from Utah, completing 56% of his passes and throwing for 4 touchdowns. After serving as Penix’s backup the last three seasons, he has entered this season with a different mindset.

“I had to do a lot of reflection after last year,” said Tuttle. “I changed a lot of things personally. I changed my diet. I changed the way I lift. My mindset. Coach Bell coming in. It’s helped me physically to get my body fat percentage down, my speed up. Getting bigger. If we’re up by 40 or down by 10, it’s the same mindset. Continue to be level headed.”

If Tuttle is ultimately the guy come September 2nd, it is likely this changed mindset and his familiarity with the team that won him the job.

Connor Bazelak, Redshirt Junior, 6’3” 224 Pounds

Competing directly against Tuttle, however, is Missouri transfer Connor Bazelak. Bazelak is a former SEC Freshman of the Year that threw for over 5,000 yards with 23 touchdowns against 17 interceptions in 24 games from 2019 to 2021. He boasts a 66.4% career completion percentage. He joined the Hoosiers looking for a new opportunity, and we can assume he expected to be named the starter when he made the move. He feels good about how he has performed so far but finds himself in the middle of a quarterback competition.

 “I feel good about where my game is right now,” he says. “I feel like I'm throwing the ball really well. I’m hitting deep shots, checking the ball down when I get pressure, and learning the offense, getting a better grasp of the offense. I feel good about where I am.”

“I thought it was best to come here,” he continued. “Last season was definitely up-and-down. I had a really bad hamstring injury and played through that, which was tough. I couldn't run. But nobody cares. You've got to win games.”

Sometimes, a position room just needs a refresh. If Bazelak wins the job, we can assume that Allen and his staff chose a new face with SEC experience that has proven he has a high ceiling.

Depth Pieces

Dexter Williams II, Redshirt Sophomore, 6’1” 209 Pounds

Williams II tore his ACL in spring practice last season, but since returning this year he has really seemed to come to life. While there were rumors early on that he may need to switch positions to see the field, all reports out of camp are that he has turned heads and is a legitimate threat to be the Hoosiers’ quarterback of the future.

“The other guy that's done an incredible job is Dexter Williams II,” said Walt Bell. “Dexter is going to be a really good player someday. I'm really impressed with the improvement that Dexter has made between spring and now.”

“I think Dexter Williams is as improved as anybody on offense, and that's huge for us," Allen said. "Last year we needed everybody possible to step up in that room, and so, to have three guys that you feel like can do some really good things for you is a very, very positive thing."

Barring bad injury luck like last season, Dexter will likely just serve as QB3 this season. But if he can continue to develop, he is exactly the type of dual-threat guy that Walt Bell’s offenses love.

Grant Gremel, Redshirt Junior, 6’3” 206 Pounds

Despite joining the team as a walk-on in 2019, a slew of injuries has put Gremel in position to earn some valuable playing time. He saw five games of action last season, including his first start in the season finale at Purdue. He was the first walk-on quarterback to start a game for Indiana since 1995. He is a career 32-of-58 passer for 269 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception.

Gremel will fall back to his role on the scout team this season, but it is always valuable to have a guy with that much Big Ten experience leading the practice squad.

Scout Teamers

Brendan Sorsby, Freshman, 6’3” 221 Pounds

Sorsby’s day may come to be Indiana’s starting quarterback, but it should not be this season. Sorsby was a 3-star recruit in last year’s class out of Lake Dallas High School in Texas. After Josh Hoover decommit from the Hoosiers in December, Allen and the staff went out and found Sorsby to replace him. In 2021, Sorsby threw for 1,271 yards with 14 touchdowns and only three interceptions. He was also a force on the ground, rushing for 791 yards and 15 touchdowns. He is a true dual threat quarterback, which is what Tom Allen is looking for in a quarterback.

Will Jontz, Redshirt Junior, 6’3” 228 Pounds

Will Jontz joined the program as a walk-on in 2019 and is now entering his fourth season with the Hoosiers. Jontz has earned scout team player of the week honors four times in his career, most recently after last year’s Idaho game. He also made his collegiate debut in that game. Jontz has twice earned Academic All-Big Ten honors. He will serve as a scout team piece once again this season.

Final Analysis

The final decision will be made internally in a matter of days now. Allen wants to have a starter named to the team after the second scrimmage; their first scrimmage wrapped up last Friday.

"I think the bottom line is that I wanted to get the ball thrown down the field and create those explosive plays and those chunk plays,” said Allen. “It doesn't have to be bombs; we are talking about even just the deep 10-15-yard concepts. Just trying to get the ball to the second level and get the defense stressed.”

Allen’s ultimate decision will come down to three things, he said: 1) commanding the offense, 2) protecting the football, and 3) winning the team over.

We will know soon who was able to accomplish these three goals.