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BLOOMINGTON – Curt Cignetti hasn’t always waxed long and lyrical about his team during his first spring season at Indiana, but when the Hoosiers’ new coach has had a message to deliver, he’s not been shy.
Like Tuesday when, after a disappointingly poor practice, Cignetti suggested too many of his players “came out like the old Indiana” after last weekend’s scrimmage.
More: Transfer WR Elijah Sarratt knows Curt Cignetti’s offense. He’s thrived in it.
And when he’s not wanted to overshare, Cignetti has been honest about that too. He’s only pulled the curtain back a few inches, for example, on his quarterback race.
Eventually, that picture will have to clarify itself, beginning with next week’s spring game. Not just at quarterback, but a host of positions revamped or remade in the wake of IU’s coaching change last winter. With that in mind, here are five position groups to keep a close eye on come April 18.
Quarterback
Start where it matters most.
Unsurprisingly, Cignetti has reserved much of what threadbare praise he’s doled out first to Kurtis Rourke. The Ohio transfer is both the most credentialed and most experienced signal caller on roster, and he’s the one his coach has singled out most often.
“I’m not going to tell you about the quarterback rotation,” Cignetti said on April 2. “From here on out I might not be very open about it. I am impressed with Rourke’s progress. Let’s just say that.”
Based on Cignetti’s assessments, returner Tayven Jackson might be closest to Rourke at the moment. Jackson, Cignetti suggested recently, has had both good and bad days during the spring.
True freshman Tyler Cherry isn’t seeing as many snaps as his older teammates, but based on Cignetti’s comments, Cherry seems entrenched with the third string right now. And while his workload hasn’t met…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/5-position-groups-worth-watching-084749632.html
Author : IndyStar | The Indianapolis Star
Publish date : 2024-04-11 08:47:49
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