Indiana Football: Michael Penix brings confidence of starting QB

Indiana football redshirt freshman brings the confidence of a starting quarterback despite playing in just three games a season ago.

All the talk of the offseason has been who will be under center when the Indiana football program takes the field on Aug. 31 against Ball State in their season opener. With three quality choices, a lot of fans like the upside of redshirt freshman Michael Penix Jr.

Penix played in just three games a season ago and suffered a torn ACL against Penn State, thus allowing him to take a redshirt year. Now, after a successful offseason of rehab, he is ready to come back and attack 2019, helping the team any way possible.

Whoever wins the starting quarterback job, however, needs to be someone with an ability to elevate the team, as Coach Tom Allen told reporters at IU media day.

"“But yeah, the bottom line is that’s what I want and expect from that position is to elevate the level of play. In order for us to take the next step we want to take as a program and as an offense, and that’s a big part of what we have, and that’s really to me — we’re talking about it here almost the whole time, and if you go to everybody’s fall camp and the NFL and every level, that person that plays that position is really the key element to your team. So that’s why it’s such a big deal.”"

One part of Penix’s game that can’t be denied is his explosive play and ability for big play potential, something that the offense lacked at times last season.

With his ability to be a true dual-threat option under center, Penix has the arm strength as well as the legs to create a play out of nothing. The Hoosiers saw flashes of that last season with his nearly 11.0 yards per completion, compared to just 9.7 for Ramsey.

Being a true freshman last season, Penix now has a year under his belt and has expressed his confidence in his ability heading into this year.

“I’ve got a year under my belt, I’ve seen how everything is, so I’m used to the speed now,” Penix explained during media day. With the usual star studded defensive lines of Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State and Michigan State, his ability to adjust on the fly is something that will continue to increase with experience, but is needed in order to succeed in the Big Ten.

Despite Coach Allen saying Ramsey has earned the right to be the starter, and making Penix and Utah transfer Jack Tuttle beat him out, Penix has the confidence of a starting quarterback.

"“I expect us to win every game and expect us to do great things offensively,” Penix said. “Physically I’m real good and 100 percent ready to get out there and compete with my teammates.”"

During the first weekend of fall practice, Indiana fans were able to see the potential with a healthy and experienced Penix under center could look like.

Throughout the first couple of practices, Penix has continued to standout and make big time throws, either in coverage, or throwing a receiver open.

His playmaking is something that the Indiana offense lacked a season ago, and if he can keep his confidence as high as it is now, he just may take the starting job from Ramsey and take the program to new heights.