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Indiana Football Notebook: Notes and quotes about spring QB play

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Head Coach Tom Allen instructs the Hoosiers at the first open practice of the 2022 season at the practice facility at Indiana University on Tuesday, August 2, 2022. Iufb Hc Tom Allen (Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times-USA TODAY NETWORK)

The Indiana football program is heading into a critical season in 2023 and that means the spring and summer months will be of the upmost importance. Spring practice got underway on March 4 and will run through April 15.

Indiana is coming off of a 4-8 season in 2022 that followed a 2-10 year in 2021. And, there’s no secret what has stunted the progression of the Indiana football program — the quarterback position.

This spring brought with it the most discussed quarterback battle that Indiana head coach Tom Allen has had since taking over the head coaching role in 2017.

Indiana has three quarterbacks on campus this spring that are vying for the starting spot come this fall. One name that will not be in the mix is Dexter Williams. Williams suffered a gruesome knee injury last year in the season-finale against Purdue. He had taken over the starting spot from Connor Bazelak and brought new life and a dynamic skillset to the Indiana offense.

Now, with Williams expected to miss most — if not all — of the 2023 season and Bazelak transferring elsewhere, it’s up to three youngsters who look to man the Indiana offense.

But, the early signs are telling and it’s a quarterback room that Tom Allen likes early in the spring.

“Obviously they’re gonna make the reads and progressions and we’re gonna be tough on them because we want them to learn how to handle the pressure that they’re gonna be under,” Allen said earlier this month. “But I think because of the of the rawness of everything and the newness of these guys, you just get a chance to see who are they innately when the bullets are flying and when it’s a team period, because that, to me, is what matters.”

The lone signal-caller who saw action for Indiana last year is Brendan Sorsby. His only action came against Penn State, going 3-of-6 for eight yards and one interception.

“The thing about Brendan, even though he is in his second season, he was not here last spring. So it’s his first spring with us, so that’s a big difference,” Allen said of Sorsby. “He’s bigger, he’s got a live arm, he can throw it and run it. I love that component here.”

Of the newcomers, Broc Lowry was part of the 2023 recruiting class and arrives an an early-enrollee. The importance of that is significant, getting a jumpstart on learning the system, playbook and getting in the weight room to get more of a ‘college body’.

Lowry has stood out thus far.

“Broc (Lowry), to me, he’s just a winner,” Allen said. “And he’s just tough, gritty, he makes really good decisions already, even though he’s very young. He’s obviously the youngest of the crew, his first college opportunity in his life this spring coming right out of high school.”

Lowry has the skillset of being able to utilize both his arm and legs — a key skill that the Hoosiers are prioritizing at the position. He ran for 1,728 and 26 touchdowns as a senior in addition to 871 yards and 13 scores as a junior.

“You can see the natural leadership piece, it’s actually showed up in the weight room. Our strength staff noticed it right away, a lot of comments about that. So I think he’s gonna have a chance to be a really special player because of his mindset, but obviously he’s very, very young. ”

The latest addition to the quarterback room came the way of the transfer portal. Indiana landed the commitment of Tennessee transfer Tayven Jackson. Jackson was a four-star prospect out of Center Gove (Ind.) high school but settled on the out of state program over the Hoosiers.

Second time around, it was a no-brainer.

“Kind of a similar build — not quite as heavy as Brendan — but live arm, both of those two guys have a really strong arm,” Allen said. “And I think just the ability to run it for all three of them is one of their strengths, without question. And I think it’s sometimes hard to tell right now because there’s so much going on, but when you just see them isolate and make the throws, those two older guys have really, really strong arms.”

“What we liked about him was his athleticism,” Added Allen. “He’s a long athlete, multi-sport guy, basketball, track, all three of those, and just felt like that he could create with his legs, with his arm. He’s a tremendous leader.”

After two straight seasons with a bowl game appearance, it has been two straight years of no postseason play. There is no question that Indiana needs to hit on this quarterback decision.

Follow Hoosier Illustrated on Twitter @Indiana_FRN to stay up to date on all of the news, updates and coverage of University of Indiana athletics. 

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Indiana football set to add field-level premium seats in Memorial Stadium

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Indiana football is set to unveil field-level premium seating in Memorial Stadium this season for all home games. (Indiana Athletics)

The Indiana football program has unveiled a new experience at Memorial Stadium. Set to roll out this season, Indiana will provide premium suites for game-day experiences.

Memorial Stadium will have  eight field level suites on the stadium’s south end behind the end zone.

Each suite costs $20,000/season, which includes 16 tickets to each of IU’s home games. Pricing for a single-game suite is TBD.

Below is the full release from the Indiana football program.

Bloomington, Ind. – Hoosier Football fans now have the chance to enjoy a premium suite experience at Memorial Stadium from field level.

Beginning this fall, Memorial Stadium will feature eight field level suites on the stadium’s south end located immediately behind the end zone. Each suite includes spacious, sectional furniture seating; a mounted large screen television on the suite’s awning; a drink rail with seating facing the field; high barstool seats to provide additional seating space. Other special amenities include an all-you-can-eat hospitality buffet; domestic, craft beer, and wine options; a personal suite attendant; and a unique player vantage point from field level.

Each suite costs $20,000/season, which includes 16 tickets to each of IU’s home games beginning with the Sept. 2 opener against Ohio State. Pricing for a single-game suite is TBD.

The new premium suite experience is the result of a new partnership between IU Athletics and REVELXP. REVELXP partners with sports and entertainment brands across the U.S. to provide fans with an elevated experience on game days. To date, REVELXP has partnerships with nearly 100 collegiate and professional properties nationwide. Among its active partnerships are Auburn, Arkansas, Baylor, Florida, Florida State, Kentucky, Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State, Oklahoma, Penn State, Texas, Texas A&M, USC, and the College Football Playoff.

“We continue to look for ways to enhance and expand the game-day experience alternatives for Hoosier football fans, so we are excited to offer this new premium seating opportunity beginning this fall,” said IU Vice President and Director of Athletics Scott Dolson. “REVELXP has a proven track record of providing the highest level of service and experiences at a wide array of events, college football included.  I expect this to be a very enticing opportunity for our fanbase for not only this year, but for years to come.”

SEE ALSO: Indiana football opens 2023 season against Ohio State with primetime afternoon CBS time slot

Make sure to follow Hoosier Illustrated on Twitter @Indiana_FRN and YouTube to stay up to date on all of the news, updates and coverage of Indiana University athletics. 

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Indiana football opens 2023 season against Ohio State with primetime afternoon CBS time slot

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The Indiana football program will open the 2023 season at home against Ohio State at 3:30 pm on CBS on Sept. 2. (Indiana Athletics)

The Big Ten has announced game times and tv designations for the first three weekends of the 2023 season. That includes a prime afternoon time slot for the Indiana football program in its season opener.

On Saturday Sept. 2, Indiana will open the season at home against Ohio State at 3:30 pm on CBS.

This is the first year of the Big Ten’s new television contract which includes NBC and CBS tv designations.

Below is the full release from the Big Ten.

ROSEMONT, Ill. – The Big Ten Conference has announced times and television networks on Wednesday (May 31) for the first three weekends of the 2023 season along with the time for the Indiana football homecoming game.

The conference office announced the following for the Hoosiers:

Saturday, Sept. 2 | Ohio State at Indiana | 3:30 p.m. | CBS
Friday, Sept. 8 | Indiana State at Indiana | 7pm or 8 p.m. | Big Ten Network
Saturday, Sept. 16 | Louisville vs. Indiana | Noon | Big Ten Network
Saturday, Oct. 21 | Rutgers at Indiana | Noon

The 2023 season marks the first season with new broadcast partners to distribute the conference’s television broadcasts. Games will be distributed to fans across broadcast, cable and direct-to-consumer platforms on CBS, FOX and NBC, along with the Big Ten Network and FS1. NBCUniversal’s direct-to-consumer platform, Peacock, will also carry Big Ten games for the first time.

All games televised on NBC will also be available for streaming on Peacock. Games exclusive to Peacock will only be available on that platform.

SEE ALSO: Indiana football enters phase two of prep work as a critical summer approaches

Make sure to follow Hoosier Illustrated on Twitter @Indiana_FRN and YouTube to stay up to date on all of the news, updates and coverage of Indiana University athletics. 

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Indiana Football: DeQuece Carter among highest rated returning WRs in Big Ten

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DeQuece Carter starts his Indiana football career as one of the top returning wide receivers in the Big Ten after transferring from Fordham. (DeQuece Carter / Fordham Athletics)

The Indiana football program landed one of the most productive wide receivers in the transfer portal this offseason. DeQuece Carter, transfer from Fordham, arrived in Bloomington this spring looking to make an immediate impact on the Indiana football program.

The 5-foot-11 Carter had 1,166 yards with 56 receptions and 13 touchdowns last year. He had five 100+ yard receiving games and averaged 20.8 yards per catch.

As a junior, Carter finished with 48 catches for 872 yards and 11 touchdowns. As a freshman, he was named a Freshman All-American after totaling 53 catches for 723 yards and five touchdowns.

Now, heading into the 2023 season, Carter is ranked among the highest wide receivers in the Big Ten.

According to Pro Football Focus, Carter is the fourth highest graded receiver who returns from last year. He has a rating of 80.8. The three wideouts in front of Carter include Dante Cephas of Penn State and then two Ohio State wide receivers at No. 1 and No. 2, Marvin Harrison and Emeka Egbuka respectively.

After a lack of explosive plays in 2022, the Hoosiers are looking for that with Carter this season.

“Super, super productive … that’s one of the things you go through. Let’s go find a guy who has been highly, highly productive maybe at a smaller level but he has a chip on his shoulder because he wants to prove he belongs with the big boys. And that’s what he brings,” IU head coach Tom Allen said after Carter’s signing. “… He knows how to get open and has tremendous ball skills to be able to make plays. He’s got that swagger, that confidence that when he steps on that field he’s going to make plays.”

Indiana looks to bounce back after a 4-8 season and Carter’s ability to make explosive plays is a reason for some offensive optimism.

Indiana football opens its 2023 season against Ohio State on Sept. 2 in Bloomington.

SEE ALSO: Storylines to follow for the Indiana football program following spring practice

Make sure to follow Hoosier Illustrated on Twitter @Indiana_FRN and YouTube to stay up to date on all of the news, updates and coverage of Indiana University athletics. 

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