CHICAGO, ILL.—One of the most interesting stories yet to unfold for the 2019 Indiana Football team surrounds the quarterback room in Bloomington. The Hoosiers have three very capable options including the returning redshirt junior starter Peyton Ramsey, the redshirt freshman returning back from injury in Michael Penix, and the highly touted redshirt freshman transfer from the west coast Jack Tuttle.

“As we approach the 2019 season, we have three quarterbacks that I believe are all three are capable of leading our football team,” Coach Tom Allen said during his press conference today at Big Ten Media Day.

“Peyton Ramsey … is the returning starter. He has done a tremendous job for us. And he’s going to be in competition with Michael Penix and Jack Tuttle.”

At Big Ten Media Day in the Hilton Chicago, a bit more of the move-forward plan has been revealed. Despite having one of the most competitive quarterback rooms in recent program history, Indiana will be looking to just use one of the three.

On the quarterback position, Allen states that he does not envision running a two-QB system. #iufb — IndianaHQ (@IndianaHQ) July 18, 2019

“We don’t plan to run a two quarterback system. The plan now is to pick one and let him be the man.”

The Hoosiers most recently experimented with a two quarterback system in Richard Lagow and Peyton Ramsey in 2017. But circumstances were different. Two quarterbacks individually did not have the skill sets to create a dual-threat presence. Lagow was largely immobile but could throw rockets. Peyton Ramsey could be described as the inverse.

Perhaps moving forward with a single-QB system is a telling sign for the growth of Peyton Ramsey, as well as the talent that they Hoosiers have in the QB pipeline.

Will Ramsey be the day one starter? Right now, he’s at the throne and the job is his to lose. Tom Allen plans to have a decision after fall camp and before the first game, which is scheduled for August 31 at Lucas Oil Stadium against Ball State.

“Obviously as the returning starter, [Ramsey] is the guy that they have to beat out.”

“We’ll go into fall camp and make those decisions. I really believe in each one of those individuals, and they all have their unique skill-sets and strengths that they bring to the table. They are all a little bit different, but they all have the ability to throw the football and extend plays, which is a key ingredient of what we are trying to accomplish offensively.”

“That’s something we will have unfold during fall camp and we will have a decision before game one.”

In response to our question on the team adapting to new offensive coordinator @KalenDeBoer's scheme, @CoachAllenIU says that fans won't see wholesale changes, but he asked DeBoer to come in and implement his system and terminology, so there will be some differences. #iufb — IndianaHQ (@IndianaHQ) July 18, 2019

The timing of the quarterback reload comes as the Hoosiers operate under the offensive schemes of new offensive coordinator Kalen DeBoer, who was brought to the program back in January.

In response to IndianaHQ’s question about upcoming scheme changes, Tom Allen mentioned that the Hoosiers will not be making “wholesale changes.”

“To me, it’s about formational things and personnel groupings and the way we get into different looks – how we disguise looks and all of that.”

Despite not having dramatic and fundamental changes to the offense; however, Tom Allen has given the keys fully to Kalen DeBoer. “I want him to completely implement everything as he wanted it, including terminology and everything – and let guys to learn a new system and they have embraced it. We’ve done a great job this Spring and this Summer within the rules to be able to get it installed.”

And make no mistake, a big factor in the quarterback race will be the player that can most quickly learn and pick up the spread formations, play calls, and option reads that Kalen DeBoer will bring to the Hoosiers in 2019.

Featured Photo: Michael Hickey / Getty Images