IU football named a ‘team to watch’ for highly anticipated transfer quarterback

The IU football is gearing up for a College Football Playoff run but that doesn’t mean the transfer portal is going to wait. Head coach Curt Cignetti labeled this month as a ‘juggling act’ between the opening of the transfer portal, hosting current transfers for visits and still prepping for whomever its first round opponent will be in two weeks.

The transfer portal was extremely successful for Indiana last year. While a majority of the transfer additions came from James Madison, there was one highly successful addition that did not — one that IU will have to replace. That was quarterback Kurtis Rourke.

Rourke, who transferred in from Ohio, has been the backbone for one of the most efficient and powerful offenses in the country this season. But, his time in Bloomington is limited. So, finding a quarterback who can come in and play at the same level is a huge emphasis, and priority number one for Curt Cignetti and his staff this offseason.

Trending: Curt Cignetti says Indiana football ‘will definitely’ look into transfer portal for quarterback addition

One name that has been tied to the Hoosiers is Liberty transfer Kaidon Salter. According to On3.com national reporter Pete Nakos, IU football, Syracuse, Vanderbilt and Auburn are four schools to ‘watch for’ when it comes to potential destinations.

Salter has one year of eligibility remaining after being extremely successful over the course of his Liberty career. This past season he threw for 1,886 yards and 15 touchdowns with  six interceptions. He added 587 yards on the ground and seven touchdowns. He’s the definition of a true dual-threat quarterback, with six games this year of 10+ carries. He also had five games with at least 60 yards rushing.

His 2023 season was even better, however. He threw for 2,750 yards and 32 touchdowns to six interceptions. He also competed 61 percent of his passes. Once again, his ability to run the ball was on display, totaling 1,089 yards on the ground with 12 touchdowns. He had four 100+ yard games and finished with a 6.7 yard per carry average.

In his career, Salter has thrown for 5,887 yards with 56 touchdowns and just 17 interceptions. he’s also added 2,017 yards on the ground with 21 touchdowns and a 5.7 yard per carry average. He was the 2023 Conference USA MVP.

Salter started his career off at Tennessee where he redshirted his freshman season.

The new dynamic, however, is with the IU football staff. News started to break on Thursday that co-offensive coordinator and QB’s coach Tino Sunseri would be leaving Indiana and headed to UCLA to take over the play calling as their offensive coordinator. Sunseri is one of the more respected QB coaches and developers around the country.

So, while IU looks at adding to its roster, it’ll have to look at adding a new position coach as well.

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