Jack's Take: Time to Name Tayven Jackson Starter, Stop Alternating Quarterbacks

Following Indiana's 41-7 win over Indiana State, it's time for coach Tom Allen to name Tayven Jackson the starting quarterback for a pivotal Week 3 matchup against Louisville.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The audition is over.

It’s time for Indiana to name Tayven Jackson the starting quarterback and stick with him.

Indiana’s first two games were opposite extremes, as Ohio State is a national title contender and Indiana State looks like it might struggle to win a game. The Hoosiers would have a 1-1 record no matter who played quarterback the first two weeks. And candidly, head coach Tom Allen and offensive coordinator Walt Bell weren’t exactly sure what they were getting with either until real games were played.

That’s why it made sense for Allen to play both Jackson and Brendan Sorsby – quarterbacks who entered the season with 10 combined pass attempts at the college level – in the first two games.

But entering a Week 3 matchup against 2-0 Louisville at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, the flip-flop game has to end. Allen wants it to end, but he was unwilling to officially name the starter after Friday’s 41-7 win over Indiana State. He and Bell will go back and evaluate both games, then decide.

I’m ready, though. Tayven Jackson – you are the Indiana Hoosiers’ starting quarterback. And you don’t have to worry about splitting snaps for the sake of further evaluation.

Indiana's Tayven Jackson (2) passes during the first half of the Indiana versus Indiana State football game at Memorial Stadium on Friday, Sept. 8, 2023 :: Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK

In fairness to Sorsby, how much did Jackson really separate himself? Not much, in complete honesty. In portions of spring and fall practices we watched, neither stood out on a consistent basis. Allen wasn’t playing the deception game when he said it was constantly back and forth.

Against Ohio State, if one quarterback held an advantage it was probably Sorsby, but there was nothing definitive and Indiana mustered just three points. Moving on to Week 2, any quarterback on the roster could have led Indiana to a win against Indiana State. Jackson was the better quarterback Friday night, as he led three touchdown drives in his first three tries. But is it really fair to name the starter based on their ability to carve up an FCS school?

In a broader sense, the offense seemed to run more smoothly with Jackson compared to Sorsby, but again, the separation wasn’t glaring. Through two weeks, here are the statlines.

Sorsby: 62 snaps, 17-for-32 passing, 166 yards, zero touchdowns, zero interceptions, 12 rush attempts, 40 yards. Pro Football Focus passing grade, 80.3.

Jackson: 76 snaps, 19-for-26 passing, 260 yards, zero passing touchdowns, zero interceptions, nine rush attempts, 20 yards, one rushing touchdown. Pro Football Focus passing grade: 91.0.

Indiana has to make a decision now and ride it out, because next week’s game against Louisville is as pivotal as any, especially if Indiana has bowl-game aspirations. Historically, two-quarterback systems rarely work, and no one involved, even Allen and Bell, like it.

“It’s hard to have that mindset of not starting the game, but I might go in,” Jackson said after the Ohio State game. “If he goes out there and throws three touchdowns, I’m definitely not going in. So it’s almost like you’ve just got to wait your turn.”

“I feel like it’s tougher to get into a rhythm,” Sorsby said after the Ohio State game. “Because you never know when you’re going to go. You never know when you’re going to get pulled out. So hopefully here soon one of us makes a jump and we’re able to figure out who the guy’s going to be and we’ll go from there.”

Another one for @IndianaFootball 💯

Jackson takes it himself 💪 pic.twitter.com/y8xMOica3i

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 8, 2023

Both quarterbacks have near-identical skill sets with ability to run and pass, so there’s no reason to continue the two-quarterback offense. If one offered elite pocket passing and the other had a run-first package, there might be an argument to play both. That’s not the case.

Allen also knows Indiana needs to have an eye for the future when making this decision. It’s fair to consider the potential detriment to future transfer portal recruiting if Indiana were to bring Jackson in from Tennessee, only to make him second string behind an unproven quarterback like Sorsby.

That’s not to say Indiana should have just handed Jackson the job right away. But the importance of recruiting and outside perception are important as ever nowadays. Allen must consider the flip side, too, knowing that whoever he decides to bench could enter the transfer portal.

The potential return of quarterback Dexter Williams II has to be kept in mind, as well. Williams tore his ACL in the 2022 season finale against Purdue, but Allen has said throughout the offseason that his recovery has been ahead of schedule. He could return midseason, or perhaps a week or two earlier, making the Michigan game on Oct. 14 a potential return date.

Would Indiana simply hand the starting job back to Williams when he’s healthy? That will depend on how Jackson, or Sorsby, plays over the next month-plus, but it’s a possibility. Williams led the Hoosiers to a double-overtime win at Michigan State, and the offense was explosive with both Williams and Jaylin Lucas in the backfield.

Indiana QB Tayven Jackson dropping dimes on Indiana State
https://t.co/6O3Nbgg9hZ

— NFL Highs (@frito_paw) September 8, 2023

Moving forward, Indiana’s Week 3 game against Louisville is arguably the most pivotal point of the 2023 season, with potential to jump out to a 3-1 start when Big Ten play resumes Sept. 30 at Maryland.

So Indiana must put its best foot forward, and that means entrusting Jackson to lead the team. His elusiveness in the read-option game, coupled with significant strides in the passing game make him the choice. Sorsby is an adequate quarterback, and it’s more about what Jackson did than what Sorsby didn’t do.

The pseudo-preseason stretch is over, and it’s time to lift the weight off Jackson’s shoulders and give him the keys to the offense.

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• GAME STORY: Coach Tom Allen and the Indiana Hoosiers defeated Indiana State 41-7 on Friday at Memorial Stadium. It was a dominant win for IU, led by quarterback Tayven Jackson and an unforgiving defense, though it was clear all night that the visiting team was overmatched. CLICK HERE
• WHAT TOM ALLEN SAID: Indiana football coach Tom Allen met with media following the Hoosiers' 41-7 win over Indiana State Friday Night at Memorial Stadium. Here's everything he said. CLICK HERE
• WHAT JAYLIN LUCAS SAID: Indiana State had no answer for Indiana running back Jaylin Lucas Friday night, as he rushed for 88 yards and two touchdowns, while also hauling in four receptions for 39 yards. Here's what Lucas said after the game. CLICK HERE
• WATCH JAYLIN LUCAS TD: Indiana running back Jaylin Lucas scored the first touchdown of the season for coach Tom Allen and the Hoosiers on Friday night in the team's game against Indiana State. CLICK HERE
• WATCH TAYVEN JACKSON TD: The Indiana quarterback scored his first touchdown in his IU career on Friday night against Indiana State on a 10-yard quarterback draw late in the first quarter. CLICK HERE
• BLOOMINGTON'S MADDIX BLACKWELL SCORED TD FOR INDIANA STATE: Former Bloomington South football player Maddix Blackwell scored the first touchdown of the game for the Indiana State Sycamores and coach Curt Mallory on Friday night against coach Tom Allen and the Indiana Hoosiers. Blackwell returned a Jaylin Lucas fumble 75 yards to make the score 21-7 late in the second quarter. CLICK HERE