Indiana's Kurtis Rourke Ranked 7th Among Big Ten Quarterbacks By Pro Football Focus

Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Kurtis Rourke was rated in middle of the pack nationally.

Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Kurtis Rourke (9) throws a pass during the Indiana football spring game at Memorial Stadium on Thursday, April 18, 2024. / Bobby Goddin/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK

Indiana quarterback Kurtis Rourke was ranked in the top half of the Big Ten's expected starting quarterbacks by Pro Football Focus.

The football-focused website broke down all of the quarterbacks in the Power Four conferences in an artcile written by PFF writer Dalton Wasserman. Rourke was ranked 36th nationally among the 70 Power Four quarterbacks that were rated. Georgia's Carson Beck was the top-rated quarterback.

Rourke, an Ohio University transfer, has not yet been officially named as the Hoosiers starter, but all indications are that he will be the starting quarterback. Indiana coach Curt Cignetti brought Rourke to Bloomington via the transfer portal and he has been the presumed starter going back to spring practice.

“I thought Rourke had a good day, really sort of separated himself pretty significantly in that scrimmage,” Cignetti said on Aug. 12. “For the most part, he’d been playing good football. There’s always room for improvement for anybody on this football team. He’s consistent, and he knows how to play quarterback."

Rourke is competing for the position with Tayven Jackson, who made five starts in 2023 before he was replaced by Brendan Sorsby. Also involved are freshmen Tyler Cherry and Alberto Mendoza, though they are not considered to be starting candidates in 2024 barring injury concerns.

Rourke was a three-year starter at Ohio University prior to his arrival at Indiana.

Rourke completed 66.3% of his passes for 7,651 yards, 50 touchdown passes and 16 interceptions during his Bobcats career.

In 2022, Rourke was the Mid-American Offensive Player of the Year. His numbers peaked at 3,257 passing yards with 25 touchdowns and just four interceptions.

Rourke tore his ACL with two games remaining in the 2022 season. He also missed two games in 2023. During those two seasons, Ohio was 20-7.

PFF cited that 2022 season, one in which it rated Rourke as the most accurate quarterback in all of college football, as the reason Indiana "could surprise a lot of Big Ten foes".

Rourke will have a talented wide receiver corps to throw to. Donaven McCulley (48 receptions, 644 yards), E.J. Williams (23 receptions, 281 yards) and Omar Cooper Jr. (18 receptions, 267 yards) stayed with the Hoosiers.

Elijah Sarratt (82 catches, 1,191 yards at James Madison), Myles Price (161 career receptions at Texas Tech) and Ke'Shawn Williams (107 career receptions at Wake Forest) are all part of the mix.

Here's how Wasserman ranked all 18 Big Ten quarterbacks ahead of the 2024 campaign:

1. Dillon Gabriel, Oregon Ducks
2. Drew Allar, Penn State Nittany Lions
3. Tyler Van Dyke, Wisconsin Badgers
4. Miller Moss, USC Trojans
5. Will Howard, Ohio State Buckeyes
6. Will Rogers, Washington Huskies
7. Kurtis Rourke, Indiana Hoosiers
8. Hudson Card, Purdue Boilermakers
9. Luke Altmyer, Illinois Fighting Illini
10. Ethan Garbers, UCLA Bruins
11. Aidan Chiles, Michigan State Spartans
12. Dylan Raiola, Nebraska Cornhuskers
13. Max Brosmer, Minnesota Golden Gophers
14. Cade McNamara, Iowa Hawkeyes
15. Alex Orji, Michigan Wolverines
16. Athan Kaliakmanis, Rutgers Scarlet Knights
17. Billy Edwards Jr., Maryland Terrapins
18. Mike Wright, Northwestern Wildcats

Indiana's defense will only face one of the quarterbacks (Will Howard, Ohio State) in the top five. Indiana's defense will play against three of the bottom five quarterbacks - Michigan's Alex Oriji, Maryland's Billy Edwards Jr. and Northwestern's Mike Wright.

Related stories on Indiana football

• ROURKE, LAWTON ON SAME PAGE: Indiana quarterback Kurtis Rourke and running back Ty Son Lawton agreed that the Hoosiers needed a jolt after first scrimmage. CLICK HERE.

• ROURKE WILL HAVE PLENTY OF TARGETS: Indiana wide receiver group is deep in 2024. CLICK HERE.

• ROURKE SEPARATES HIMSELF: Kurtis Rourke has broken from the rest of the pack in the race to be Indiana's starting quarterback. CLICK HERE.