IUFB 2023 Preview: Depth Chart Prediction & Cases for Both QBs
Indiana didn't release its own two-deep, so here's a depth chart from Bite-Sized Bison! I also make the case for starting either QB on Week 1.
The depth chart you will see below was constructed by my analysis of both data-driven performances and some players’ paths since recruitment. Many of the assignments in the chart were also influenced by discussions I’ve had with folks who follow the team closely and by my thoughts on where the respective positions could go schematically. This is not intended to be factual but rather a prediction, and it could be terribly incorrect!
Indiana did not release the traditional two-deep depth chart for the Ohio State game this week, which leaves a ton of questions regarding who we might see on the field Saturday. While they weren’t the only program to withhold a two-deep (Alabama did so as well), Indiana is not Alabama, and whether you believe that it’s providing a competitive advantage or that Indiana doesn’t actually know who the starters are yet – see the current kicking situation – Indiana doesn’t exactly need a solidified depth chart until Week 3, its first competitive game against Louisville.
I wanted to provide a Bite-Sized Bison depth chart prediction (linked below and shown in the image). I also provided some additional notes for several positions and wrote a bit about the case for each Tayven Jackson and Brendan Sorsby as the starting QB.
Notes
I have a feeling Dexter Williams is this team’s No. 1 QB right now. There is an extremely high chance we see both Tayven Jackson and Brendan Sorsby play against Ohio State, maybe also against Indiana State if the defense plays well. Scroll down for a deeper look at this position.
Jaylin Lucas was tough to slot in on a depth chart. I believe Chris Turner will get his carries and Lucas will see time at slot too.
The WR spot opposite Cam Camper is tough. I don’t think Donaven McCulley or Andison Coby should start unless they’ve made incredible strides, and the upside of EJ Williams makes me believe he will see a lot of playing time.
Trey Laing is not a bad pass rusher, so I think it’s him AND Marcus Burris backing up Andre Carter and that Burris will see time inside as well.
Josh Rudolph would be a great No. 2 LB next to Aaron Casey because they both do things the other doesn’t (good pass rush from Casey, good coverage from Rudolph). While Rudolph doesn’t have the Power 5 experience of Jacob Mangum-Farrar, I see more potential with these two at LB.
While I believed Nic Toomer was the more impressive CB transfer than Kobee Minor, this shows the limits of data. Minor has received great praise for his leadership and aggression at the position. That’s significant because Brandon Shelby likes physical CBs and Jamier Johnson on the opposite side is a great tackler. Toomer will see plenty of time as the third CB, and there are a few possibilities for the fourth CB (James Monds?, Jordan Shaw? JoJo Johnson plays CB and not safety, as I’ve seen a couple folks say?).
I think Josh Sanguinetti might start at free safety, but given his previous performances and the importance of the position in a 4-2-5, I don’t see him hanging onto that job with the talent behind him, unless he’s made great improvements. Phillip Dunham could take that spot.
Strong safety is interesting. Louis Moore has been in Bloomington for a year now and could get the spot, for sure. Or if JoJo Johnson is at safety, he could be given time there, and I’ve always thought he was more talented than his opportunities allowed him to show. A big sleeper here is Tyrik McDaniel too.
Making A Case for Jackson and Sorsby at QB1
Tom Allen and the Indiana offensive staff have made their decision on QB1 for the 2023 season but will not announce him until either shortly before kickoff or when the offense takes the field Saturday against Ohio State.
While this tactic isn’t necessarily surprising, it did get me thinking deeper about the three QBs who could potentially start this season – Tayven Jackson, Brendan Sorsby, and Dexter Williams (once he returns). There haven’t exactly been rave reviews out of camp regarding former No. 13 high school QB Tayven Jackson, and I have also expressed my doubts in his regard (read the last note in this piece). When Allen conveyed the existence of a QB competition, I was quick to write Sorsby off given the amount of resources Indiana spent to get Jackson signed and how little fanfare there was when Sorsby came to Bloomington before last season. But I believe there is a case for both QBs.
These cases, though, depend on who, ultimately, Indiana perceives as the No. 1 QB. As Galen Clavio has mentioned on CrimsonCast, Indiana likely would rather commit to one more effective offensive scheme rather than two less effective schemes, so matching skillsets could be crucial. If it’s Williams they see as QB1, then we would see either Jackson or Sorsby act as a patch until Williams returns mid-season (maybe after the bye in Week 6). If that’s the case, then there’s a non-zero chance Sorsby is the guy, since an offense run by Sorsby would more closely reflect the offense we saw Williams run in the final few games of 2022. However, if Indiana sees a better scheme outside of their RPO-heavy style it ended 2022 with, it could be Jackson as the solid QB1.
Making the Case for Brendan Sorsby
This is a long shot, but bear with me. As mentioned above, if Indiana wants to carry over its system from late-2022, when it defeated Michigan State on just 7 attempted passes, Sorsby could be the guy to patch things over until Dexter Williams returns.
In 7 games as a senior in Dallas, Sorsby averaged 181 yards passing per game and 112 yards rushing per game (compared to Jackon’s 13 yards rushing per game). He scored a total of 14 passing touchdowns and 14 rushing touchdowns. Watching his film, it’s clear that this guy can run the ball, and at a smaller, underperforming program, he was the guy on offense. However, as a passer, he seems less polished than Jackson, as he completed just 52% of his passes his senior year and threw 3 INTs in those 7 games. While Tom Allen said Sorsby “can make all the throws,” that’s really all we have to go on as a public when it comes to his arm, besides Dave Revsine’s “okay” tweet and allusions to some needed development for both QBs from the media after spring practices in March.
However, it’s not necessarily clear if Dexter Williams is even an effective passer at the college level. Williams saw his attempted passes dwindle in the three games and change that he played last year, and he never completed more than 36% of his passes, recording a PFF passing grade ranked 193 out of 218 QBs with 50+ dropbacks. While he posted one of the best rushing grades of all Big Ten QBs (and was extremely fun to watch), his arm was uncertain.
Williams, Sorsby, and 2024 QB commit Tim Carpenter all seem more capable of running the offense Walt Bell and company built in the air last season than Jackson is. Sorsby runs the 40-yard dash in 4.66 seconds, Carpenter in 4.60, but Jackson recorded a 4.97 at the Elite 11 regional camp in Indianapolis. If we are to assume that system is the direction Bell wants to take the offense, Sorsby might be a good fit.
Again, this depends on which scheme Indiana wants to run and which QBs they deem able to play within that scheme. There’s also a non-zero chance that Sorsby has grown as a passer and within the system, since he redshirted 2022 in Bloomington. If Indiana likes his throwing ability paired with his mobility, that could also play into the decision.
Making the Case for Tayven Jackson
Jackson seems like the obvious choice here. Aside from his ties to Indiana through Trayce Jackson-Davis, his success at Center Grove etched his name into Indiana High School Football lore. 247Sports ranked Jackson as the No. 237 overall prospect in the Class of 2022, and he competed to the second-to-last round of the national Elite 11 circuit.
In high school, Jackson started from his sophomore season until he graduated, totaling nearly 5,000 yards passing and completing 60% of his career passes. He ended his career totaling 1,842 yards, 21 touchdowns, and 3 INTs as a senior. There is no doubting his high school success. Through Center Grove’s success, Jackson was exposed to many Power 5 scouts, thanks to his play and to a few teammates, particularly Caden Curry (now at Ohio State). Indiana pursued him but pursued Fort Branch 2022 QB Brady Allen harder. Jackson went to Tennessee, and Allen went to Purdue (followed Jeff Brohm to Louisville); Indiana brought in No. 66 QB Brendan Sorsby in that class.
I don’t want to repeat myself too much from what is included in this previous Bite-Sized Bison piece, but I’ve held suspicions regarding the legitimacy of the scout ratings on Jackson – suspicions dating back to my time covering recruiting in 2017-2020 – believing these high-level offers (several non-committable) led to favorable “scouting reports” that were primarily a comparison of film-to-offers lists due to the pandemic limiting in-person visits from teams and scouts. This was universal, as we see tons of players and programs active in the transfer portal once determining what they actually recruited in the 2020-2022 classes, especially QBs, who typically run a year ahead of cycle. It was difficult for anyone to trust what they were seeing in those days, and the players suffered because of it.
However, it is clear that there is talent in Jackson, with a big arm and good football IQ, and there’s no shame in leaving that Tennessee QB room, as Michigan transfer and long-time vet Joe Milton will start for the Vols this year with the national No. 3 recruit (Nico Iamaleava) behind him. This was a perfect get for Indiana when considering who they should be targeting when recruiting high schools and the portal. I was personally anticipating they’d add another more experienced QB in the portal and develop Jackson for the next one or two years, since Jackson played just 24 snaps and attempted 4 passes in 2022.
One would have hoped there would be stellar remarks on Jackon’s performance during spring and summer camp, though, and that is not what the public has gotten in the months since his arrival. This tweet from Big Ten Network’s Dave Revsine sort of cemented this.
With this in mind, it still wouldn't be surprising to see Jackson as the starting QB in 2023, given the raw talent that he is and how any QB for Indiana this year will be a work in progress. Having Anthony Tucker on staff is a major plus here, in terms of development. Read here about how Tucker helped a UCF QB and a Utah State QB record three of the best passing seasons in their programs’ histories. It could also be noted that Josh Heupel, the current head coach at Tennessee – where Jackson transferred from – was the head coach at UCF, hired Tucker onto the staff in 2018, and promoted him from within. A distant connection between Tucker and Jackson but one nonetheless.
And if we are to assume recruiting can map out a future style Indiana wants at the position (this has often been ambiguous at Indiana), Jackson has a fairly similar style to 2024 QB commit Tim Carpenter – the No. 25 QB in the class, according to 247Sports. Carpenter is tall with a big frame and big arm, and, while he possesses a greater running skill than Jackson, he typically is more of a threat to run rather than an RPO-type of player. This matches Jackson more than any other QB being considered for QB1 at the moment.