Indiana football dominated from start to finish on Saturday and though the starters played a half, fans got to see the future of IU football up close.
The Indiana football program has come a long way in the past couple of seasons under head coach Tom Allen, and nothing exemplified it more than on Saturday afternoon against Eastern Illinois.
Not only did the Hoosiers set a Memorial Stadium record in its 52-0 defeat of the Panthers, but Indiana got its first look at the next group of players ready to take the reins from the stars of the present.
It has been over a decade since Indiana has had a winning season and because of that, the recruiting took a major downward spiral. But in the past couple of years since Allen took over, we have seen an upswing in the talent coming to Bloomington. Names like Michael Penix and Stevie Scott may dominate the headlines when it comes to the young stars of the present, but on Saturday the Hoosiers who will take over after them, got their first real look at what their careers could be in the near future.
Much was talked about the transfer of Utah QB Jack Tuttle this offseason, and though he didn’t win the starting job, the redshirt freshman got his first action in an Indiana jersey. Though Michael Penix will be the starter for the long-term, Tuttle has the skillset to be the heir to Penix, if he were to leave school early.
Tuttle entered the game late in the second half and though it was mainly a running attack at that point in the game, the freshman QB went 3-for-7 for 18 yards and added seven rushing yards as well. While the former four-star recruit won’t see any key action in crucial games in the near future, his career got off to a start on Saturday that could blossom into a starting gig in a few years.
Tuttle’s backfield mate, Sampson James, made his debut in week one but made his presence felt against Eastern Illinois. Though only rushing for 1.8 yards per carry, James showed a good ability to read the defense and break through the holes. It was all topped off by a rushing touchdown, the first of many in his Indiana career.
Another redshirt freshman on the offense, Miles Marshall strung together a couple of good plays against the Panthers that resulted in two catches for 17 yards and a touchdown, happening in the first quarter.
Marshall is a 6-foot-4 physical wideout who will be someone to keep an eye on throughout this season and moving forward. After a terrific spring and summer, Marshall was expected to contribute this season despite being the fifth wide receiver behind a group of talented and experienced options.
If Penix can start to develop some kind of chemistry with Marshall throughout this season, it would do wonders heading into 2020 as Nick Westbrook and Donavan Hale will no longer be the top two wideouts on the roster.
Though Sampson James, Jack Tuttle, and Miles Marshall won’t get any national recognition this year, their first real performance of their careers should give fans and the staff a feeling of promise as they continue to develop.