Indiana athletic director Fred Glass is pleased with the buzz around his department as the IU Tailgate Tour begins.And that energy was palpable at the tour’s first stop in Fort Wayne on Tuesday.BLOOMINGTON – Indiana quarterbacks completed 58.5 percent of their passes last season.
Hoosiers’ coach Kevin Wilson said that’s not going to cut it.
“When I started as a young player, 58 percent we thought was a great passing performance. Well last year, if you were 60 percent, you were 60th in the nation. And there are 120 (Football Bowl Subdivision) teams,” Wilson said last week at Indiana’s media day. “This day and age, with high-percentage passing and understanding protections the way coaches have evolved the passing game, all those guys have to play better.”
Tre Roberson, Cameron Coffman and Nate Sudfeld are quarterback options for the Hoosiers.
Roberson sits atop the depth chart in the team’s preseason guide. He’s the only one with FBS experience, appearing in nine games as a freshman with IU last season
“Tre has developed,” said Kevin Johns, IU assistant offensive coordinator/quarterbacks/wide receivers coach.
“That started last winter. We got to get him to watch a lot of film of himself in the offseason, of his flaws.
“I think everyone is going to see a different Tre Roberson this fall than what they did last fall.”
Roberson made five starts. He completed 81 of 142 passes (57 percent) for 937 yards with three touchdowns and six interceptions. He also rushed for 426 yards and two touchdowns.
“This year, I’m seeing when safeties are rotating or the coverage they might be,” Roberson said. “Or I’m reading linebackers or reading the keys I’m supposed to be reading.”
Coffman passed for 2,244 yards and 21 touchdowns at Arizona Western Community College last season. He completed 61.4 percent of his passes in 2011.
“Cam is going to do everything we want him to do or need him to do,” Johns said. “He’s a very heady kid. He picked up the offense quickly. He sees the field well. I’m excited to watch him develop as well.”
Sudfeld is a 6-foot-5 freshman who threw for 2,332 yards at Modesto (Calif.) Christian.
“Nate is a big, tall and strong-armed young man. He really needs to learn the speed of the game. But he’s a lot like Cam in that he’s very heady,” Johns said. “The sky is the limit. He needs experience.”
Johns said all three will learn from Wilson.
“Coach Wilson watched Sam Bradford grow and develop (at Oklahoma), so he knows exactly what a Heisman Trophy quarterback prepares, studies, how he handles himself on the field, how he carries himself at a press conference,” Johns said.
“Those quarterbacks are so hungry, they just soak it all in. All three of those kids want to be great at a young age, which is tremendous. Being around coach Wilson, who has that experience, they’ve really grown quite a bit since last winter.”
