Is Kurtis Rourke the default starter?
One of the most significant losses to Indiana's roster happened early in the offseason when quarterback Brendan Sorsby decided to transfer almost immediately after Tom Allen was fired. Sorsby split time with Tennessee transfer Tayven Jackson early in the season. Jackson got hurt, Sorsby took the bull by the horns, and Wally Pipped Tayven.
Sorsby gave Indiana an offensive jolt that was missing most of the season. With him gone, Cignetti needed a quarterback who could steady the room. Enter 2022 MAC Offensive Player of the Year Kurtis Rourke. He gives Cignetti an experienced signal caller who has played a ton of snaps.
Coach has preached "earn it" and "nothing is given" the entire offseason, so it is not out of the realm of possibility that Rourke has to earn the job. Jackson is talented but raw, and another quarterback is still looking for a home. Cignett's former signal caller from James Madison, Jordan McCloud, is still in the transfer portal.
It stands to reason that you don't transfer anywhere with one year of eligibility not to start. Someone should have told Spencer Sanders before he left Stillwater. However, McCloud knows the system and is every bit the athlete Rourke is at quarterback.
That proves how important this spring is for Rourke, Jackson, and anyone vying to start at quarterback this fall.