Indiana Football Signs Standout MAC Quarterback

Curt Cignetti has a plan. If you know Cignetti's career arc, that should be no surprise. A member of Nick Saban's original staff at Alabama, the former James Madison head coach built winners at Elon and Indiana University (Pennsylvania) before that. He turned the Dukes into an FCS powerhouse before seamlessly transitioning to the FBS and Sun Belt Conference.

Suffice it to say, he knows what to do and how he wants it done.

Cignetti having a plan is imperative since there is much work to be done in Bloomington, Indiana. Former coach Tom Allen's departure saw 25 players from the 2023 roster enter their names in the transfer portal. The Hoosiers lost three key offensive starters to the portal: quarterback Brendan Sorsby, wide receiver Donaven McCulley, and running back Trent Howland.

Cignetti and the Hoosiers addressed the running back position by signing Wake Forest transfer Justice Ellison. Now, they've improved the quarterback room by signing Ohio transfer quarterback Kurtis Rourke. The native of Canada threw for 7,651 yards and 50 touchdowns in his career. Rourke was All-MAC Second Team in an injury-shortened 2023.

Rourke was the MAC Offensive Player of the Year in 2022. He makes sense for Cignetti and the Hoosiers because they want to run the quarterback. In addition to Rourke's ability as a passer, he has 826 career rushing yards and 11 touchdowns.

Does Rourke's signing mean Jordan McCloud doesn't follow Cignetti to Indiana? Not necessarily. He could still decide to transfer to Bloomington and compete with Rourke and Tayven Jackson for the starting quarterback job.

Nick Saban's former recruiting coordinator knows what he's doing. He has a type and has a plan. Rourke and Ellison are two solid signees from the transfer portal. Given the need to fill holes in the roster, he and his staff are far from done.