IU football: 3 questions for Curt Cignetti ahead of 2024 Big Ten Media Days

BLOOMINGTON — Indiana football coach Curt Cignetti will make his Big Ten Media Days debut this week.

Cignetti will take the stage at Lucas Oil Stadium on Thursday alongside linebacker Aiden Fisher, running back Justice Ellison and offensive lineman Mike Katic. It will be the first time the former JMU coach speaks to reporters since an NIL-related event in June.

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With fall camp right around the corner, here’s the pressing questions for Cignetti:

Will IU announce starting QB before season-opener vs FIU?

Indiana’s Kurtis Rourke (9) prepares to pass during the Indiana football spring game at Memorial Stadaium on Thursday, April 18, 2024.

The question is exactly the one that was at the top of the list for former coach Tom Allen last year.

Cignetti told reporters coming out of spring practice that he was going to let his quarterbacks — Kurtis Rourke, Tayven Jackson and Tyler Cherry — compete at the start of fall camp. He previously outlined a timeline as well based on his past experience of giving them about two weeks before making a decision.

Rourke looks like a clear frontrunner.

He has a vast experience advantage (33 career starts) over Jackson and Cherry and the decision to give him every snap with the first team offense in the spring game was a telling one.

Does it matter if Cignetti makes the decision public? Is it just optics? Maybe, but trying to hide the starting quarterback while promoting a “Never Daunted” slogan on social media is a bit at odds especially since IU is opening the year with a FIU team that went 4-8 last year.

There is some benefit to promoting Rourke (or whoever the starter is) as the face of the program as well.

Cignetti is leaning into his reputation as a quarterback whisperer — ”Google me” —…


Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/iu-football-3-questions-curt-164942939.html

Author : IndyStar | The Indianapolis Star

Publish date : 2024-07-22 16:49:42

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