Quarterback With Indiana Ties Enters Transfer Portal, Other Potential Targets

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Quarterback play has been a glaring issue at Indiana for two seasons, and it's a position coach Tom Allen and his staff have to get right in order to take a step forward 2023.

Since the beginning of the 2021 season, Indiana has played seven quarterbacks – Michael Penix Jr., Jack Tuttle, Donaven McCulley, Grant Gremel, Connor Bazelak, Brendan Sosrby and Dexter Williams II – but none of these players are surefire options in 2023.

Penix transferred to Washington and led the nation in passing yards in 2022. Tuttle, Gremel and Bazelak are in the transfer portal. McCulley plays wide receiver now. Sorsby, a true freshman in 2022, is 3-for-6 for eight yards and an interception in his college career. Indiana's best option on its current roster, Williams, had knee surgery last week, and it's unclear if he'll be ready to go by the start of the 2023 season. Indiana also brings in Broc Lowry in the class of 2023, but it's hard to envision Allen rolling with a true freshman right away.

Following the 2022 season finale loss to Purdue on Nov. 26, Allen was asked if the flashes of success with Williams showed him that Indiana needs to revise the offense around a mobile quarterback.

"Yes, absolutely without question. That's what I know we need to do," Allen said. "That allows us the chance to be able to do the things we need to do to be able to blend and different things, yes, but with the idea of the tempo that we used and the quarterback run game and throw game combination to me is really what I want us to be able to do, and want to build off that, absolutely, without question."

Williams fits that description, and he and running back Jaylin Lucas proved to be a dangerous combination against Michigan State and Purdue. The question with Williams is health, and with most of the Indiana quarterback room now gone, it's likely that Indiana adds someone through the transfer portal.

On Monday, a quarterback with Indiana University ties entered the portal. Maddox Kopp, the younger brother of Indiana basketball starting small forward Miller Kopp, announced he is leaving Colorado after one season. Indiana has not talked to him, but Maddox told HoosiersNow.com on Monday that he would be open to an opportunity with Indiana.

Kopp started his college football career at Houston as a redshirt during the 2021 season. After transferring from Houston, he appeared one game for Colorado and completed 15-of-28 passes for 123 yards and a touchdown with four rushes for nine yards.

At 6-foot-5, Kopp was a consensus three-star prospect in the class of 2021. The 247Sports Composite rankings listed him as the No. 53 quarterback and No. 743 overall. Rivals had him as the No. 23 pro-style quarterback, and ESPN ranked Kopp the No. 47 pocket-passing quarterback. At Saint Thomas High School in Houston, he completed 431-of-752 passes for 6,334 yards, 59 touchdowns and 18 interceptions, plus 109 rushes for 303 yards and three touchdowns. Kopp was named a Sports Illustrated All-American and Elite 11 finalist.

Allen's interest in building around a mobile quarterback could put a hold on bringing another Kopp to Bloomington through the transfer portal, though. He put up rushing numbers in high school, but Kopp was listed as a pocket passer. His lack of experience at the college level could be another factor, as Indiana might prefer someone that can step in right away if Williams remains out.

Notable quarterbacks in the transfer portal

Long shots, but worth a call

Spencer Sanders, Oklahoma State

61.0 completion percentage, 9,553 yards, 67 TD, 40 INT in 43 games
493 rush, 1,956 yards, 18 TD

Devin Leary, North Carolina State

60.2 comp. %, 6,807 yards, 62 TD, 16 INT in 30 games

Brennan Armstrong, Virginia

60.6 comp. %, 9,034 yards, 58 TD, 35 INT in 38 games
363 rush, 1,267 yards, 20 TD

Grayson McCall, Coastal Carolina

70.4 comp. %, 8,019 passing yards, 78 touchdowns, eight interceptions in 34 games
293 rush, 1,053 yards, 16 touchdowns

D.J. Uiagalelei, Clemson

59.8 comp. %, 5,681 yards, 36 TD, 17 INT in 35 games
275 rush, 913 yards, 15 TD

Dual-threat quarterbacks

Jeff Sims, Georgia Tech

57.5 comp. %, 4,464 yards, 30 TD, 23 INT in 25 games
277 rush, 1,152 yards, 11 TD
Andrew Ivins, a 247Sports recruiting analyst, said Indiana is interested in Sims.

Mike Wright, Vanderbilt

55.3 comp. %, 2,067 yards, 21 TD, 11 INT in 24 games
176 rush, 908 yards, seven TD

Chance Nolan, Oregon State

60.8 comp. % 4,153 yards, 32 TD, 20 INT in 22 games
116 rush, 508 yards, five TD

Brendon Lewis, Colorado

58.4 comp. %, 1,727 yards, 10 TD, three INT in 15 games
119 rush, 304 yards, three TD

Donovan Smith, Texas Tech

64.2 comp. %, 2,686 yards, 19 TD, 10 INT in 21 games
132 rush, 271 yards, 10 TD

Quarterbacks with experience at major programs

JT Daniels, USC, Georgia and West Virginia

62.9 comp. %, 6,947 yards, 45 TD, 25 INT in 31 games

Kedon Slovis, USC and Pitt

65.9 comp. %, 9,973 yards, 68 TD, 33 INT in 38 games

Graham Mertz, Wisconsin

59.5 comp. %, 5,405 yards, 38 TD, 26 INT in 34 games

Drew Pyne, Notre Dame

63.1 comp. %, 2,257 yards, 24 TD, six INT in 15 games

Hudson Card, Texas

65.5 comp. %, 1,523 yards, 11 TD, two INT in 21 games

Zach Calzada, Texas A&M and Auburn

55.8 comp. %, 2,318 yards, 19 TD, 10 INT in 15 games

Haynes King, Texas A&M

56.6 comp. %, 1,579 yards, 10 TD, 10 INT in 10 games

Jason Brown, South Carolina and Virginia Tech

55.4 comp. %, 786 yards, eight TD, six INT in 10 games

Non-Power 5 options who might step up

Austin Reed, Western Kentucky

64.4 comp. %, 4,249 yards, 36 TD, 10 INT in 13 games
87 rush, 199 yards, eight TD

Collin Schlee, Kent State

59.7 comp. %, 2,460 yards, 16 TD, five INT in 22 games
130 rush, 701 yards, eight TD

Hank Bachmeier, Boise State

61.5 comp. %, 6,605 yards, 41 TD, 19 INT in 29 games

Davis Brin, Tulsa

59.6 comp. %, 5,675 yards, 37 TD, 24 INT in 25 games

Mikey Keene, Central Florida

65.6 comp. %, 2,377 yards, 23 TD, seven INT in 15 games

Marquez McCray, Sacred Heart

62.8 comp. %, 4,993 yards, 24 TD, 15 INT in 28 games
276 rush, 468 yards, seven TD

Daniel Richardson, Central Michigan

58.7 comp. %, 5,336 yards, 43 TD, 13 INT in 31 games

Young quarterbacks

Nick Evers, Oklahoma

Four-star recruit, No. 9 QB in class of 2022 out of Flower Mound, Tex.

Luke Altmyer, Ole Miss

Four-star recruit, No. 21 QB in class of 2021 out of Starkville, Miss.
51.9 comp. %, 317 yards, three TD, three INT

Malik Hornsby, Arkansas

Four-star recruit, No. 8 dual-threat QB in class of 2020 out of Missouri City, Tex.
46.2 comp. %, 314 yards, one TD, two INT

Jay Butterfield, Oregon

Four-star recruit, No. 5 pro-style QB in class of 2022 out of Brentwood, Calif.

Eli Stowers, Texas A&M

Four-star recruit, No. 20 QB in class of 2021 out of Denton, Tex.

Tyler Macon, Missouri

Four-star recruit, No. 34 QB in class of 2021 out of East Saint Louis, Ill.
Indiana offered him out of high school