Hoosiers land Former MAC Offensive Player of the Year QB Kurtis Rouke From the Portal

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Written by T.J. Inman (@TJHoosierHuddle)

The dismissal of former Indiana University head coach Tom Allen saw a wave of IU players hit the transfer portal in search of a different place to play football. Curt Cignetti and his staff have begun to restock the roster with commitments from high school prospects and transfer players alike. On Thursday afternoon, Indiana University added a commitment from one of the better quarterback prospects in the portal as former Ohio University player and 2022 Mid America Conference Player of the Year, Kurtis Rourke, committed to play his final collegiate season in Bloomington. 

Rourke, a senior originally from Oakville, Ontario, has a lot of experience to bring to Indiana. He saw limited action in 2020, going 30 for 44 with three touchdowns and no turnovers and then took over the starting position in 2021. Rourke completed 65.5 percent of his passes with 11 touchdowns but seven interceptions. With questions about his potential surrounding the 2022 campaign, Rourke responded in a massive way. He completed 244 of his 353 passes (69.1%) for 3,256 yards with 25 touchdowns and only four interceptions. Rourke also added 249 yards on the ground with four rushing touchdowns. The Ohio Bobcats went 10-4 including a 7-1 mark in conference play and Rourke was awarded with the MAC’s Player of the Year honor. Rourke’s season ended prematurely as he tore his ACL prior to the conference title game against Toledo. They lost in the MAC Championship Game, scoring only seven points, but finished strong with a win over Wyoming in the Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl. Rourke returned from his ACL injury to begin the 2023 season but suffered an unrelated injury in the first half of the team’s opening game. He missed the second half of the game against San Diego State and the next two weeks before returning to action. Despite the injury, Rourke was able to make 11 starts, completing 63.5% of his passes and throwing for 11 touchdowns. He added four more on the ground and earned Second Team All-MAC honors. 

Kurtis Rourke was originally recruited as a 5’10” high school player, discovered by Ohio’s coaches only because his older brother was a quarterback for the Bobcats. He has grown into a 6’5”, 230-pound physical player that is capable of picking up tough yards with his size and strength. Turning the page back to 2022, what were some of Rourke’s best performances? How did he perform against Power Five competition? 

  • Florida Atlantic – 27-34 for 345 yards with four touchdowns plus one rushing touchdown

  • @ Penn State – 14-30 for 119 yards plus 29 yards rushing

  • @ Iowa State – 20-33 for 194 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions

  • Fordham (a 59-52 win) – 41-50 for 537 yards with four touchdowns plus 45 yards rushing and one touchdown

  • Akron – 24-27 for 427 yards with three touchdowns plus 32 yards rushing

This past season, Rourke missed two games and half of the opener but still had some strong performances.

  • Iowa State (a 10-7 win) – 16-32 for 135 yards with one touchdown plus 58 yards rushing

  • Kent State – 20-32 for 300 yards with three touchdowns plus 26 yards rushing with one touchdown

  • Western Michigan – 24-39 for 275 yards with one touchdown plus 33 yards rushing

Certainly, his 2023 numbers were hampered by his injury but it also must be pointed out that Ohio did not have great offensive weapons surrounding him this past season. Beyond his big frame, what does Rourke offer for Hoosier fans to get excited about? He has showcased excellent pocket presence during his collegiate career, moving around in the pocket to give himself space to make a clean throw. Rourke has an excellent deep ball, very capable of stretching the field with good accuracy on deep posts and passes along the sideline. The senior does not have a cannon for an arm but it’s certainly solid enough to make nearly any throw he has needed to make. His career completion percentage shows that he is very accurate, routinely completing more than 65 percent of his passes. To go along with that accuracy, Rourke takes care of the ball and turnovers have not been a major concern. The Canadian is not a blazing runner but he is capable of picking up first downs with his legs when needed and if the defense fails to pay attention to him. For example, consistently running a speed option attack with Rourke would be a bad idea but an occasional quarterback keeper plus five or six scrambles for yardage during a game would be a smart use of his mobility. 

Kurtis Rourke has led winning teams with Ohio and he has terrific size, good accuracy, escapibility and a proven skill on deep balls. He has a lot of tools for quarterbacks coach Tino Sunseri and offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan to work with. This coaching staff has proven that they take quarterbacks and elevate them into all-conference players so there is a lot to be excited about. The main concern or doubt would be whether or not Kurtis Rourke is healthy. In short, is IU getting the Kurtis Rourke that looked like an NFL player in 2022 or the limited version that was seen in 2023? He also has struggled some under pressure, so it will be imperative for the Hoosiers to find a way to keep the pocket relatively clean for Rourke to operate. 

Hoosier Huddle will have ongoing coverage as Curt Cignetti and the Indiana Hoosiers continue to build the roster for the 2024 season.