After overseeing a month-long competition to decide his starter, Indiana coach Tom Allen has settled on a quarterback.

It’s Peyton Ramsey, the steady redshirt sophomore who officially beat out Arizona graduate transfer Brandon Dawkins and true freshman Michael Penix for the job. Allen informed his three candidates of his decision on Wednesday before announcing his plan to reporters on Thursday morning.

In a battle that featured varying strengths, Ramsey was the logical choice. He authored the most consistent camp of the three, demonstrating both his knowledge of the offense and his ability to make good decisions in the moment.

“Our entire staff is in agreement that Peyton is the guy,” Allen said. “I think our team really sees that as well.”

When he takes the field for Indiana’s season opener at Florida International on Sept. 1, Ramsey will be making his fifth start for the Hoosiers. He played in nine games last season, replacing former IU quarterback Richard Lagow in early October. Ramsey flashed potential, throwing for 1,252 yards with 10 touchdowns and five interceptions before missing the final month of the season with an injury. His completion percentage of 65.4 percent ranks first in IU single-season history.

The primary knock on Ramsey last season was arm strength, though he dedicated time this off-season to developing more power on his throws. He still doesn’t have the passing zip that Penix possesses — or even the electric running ability of Dawkins — but Ramsey gives the Hoosiers a trusted quarterback to lead them onto the field for a season-opening road trip.

Most importantly for Allen, Ramsey checked the three most important boxes during the IU coach’s evaluation process.

“First of all, a quarterback that protects the football and his decision making — how he reads coverages, how he distributes the ball, how he protects the football. That was No. 1,” Allen said. “No. 2 was the ability to move the team down the field consistently throughout those opportunities, whether it was scrimmages or those times throughout practice.

“And No. 3, we want a young man that the team believes in. That was very, very important to me. We we go through and we selected our leadership council earlier in fall camp, he was our leading vote-getter by a landslide.”

Even with Allen’s decision, it’s likely that Dawkins and Penix will receive snaps, at least situationally. At the same time, Allen said there will not be a “rotation” of quarterbacks.

Dawkins, who started 14 of the 23 games he played in his three years at Arizona, got off to a slow start to fall camp and was the most inefficient passer of the three. The former Arizona starter showed better command of this throws in recent practices, but it was still not clear that he established enough confidence to earn the keys to IU’s offense.

Of course, Dawkins’ top attribute is his running ability, and IU may potentially take advantage of the veteran’s best quality in certain scenarios.

“I see that. I do,” Allen said. “We talked about it with him yesterday. As that grows and as he executes, I think those things that, for sure, (could happen). It’s not a rotational type thing, but I could see a package for him in the future. We’ll see how that plays out. But yeah, he’s got some things to bring to the table that puts pressure on the defense, for sure.”

Penix very much appears to be Indiana’s quarterback of the future. He throws the best ball, can throw on the run and scramble with agility. There’s no doubt he has the highest upside.

But there’s value in allowing him to ease his way into his freshman season. Plus, the NCAA’s new redshirt rule will work to his — and IU’s — favor.

With the new rule, which allows players to appear in up to four contests while retaining an extra year of eligibility, it’s likely Penix will take snaps in a game or two early in the season to gain that much-needed experience.

Should an obvious need arise later in the year, it’s also not hard to envision IU burning his redshirt.

“You see what I see out there,” Allen said. “Very special player, but he’s young. To help him build and help him grow, I think it’s the best decision for all three individuals and what’s best for our team. Bottom line is I believe all three of those guys are gonna play at different times. I’m not gonna put specifics on that, but I do expect all three of them to play. But Peyton Ramsey is the starter.”

At least, for now.

Is Ramsey capable enough to carry that title for the duration of the season? That’s what he has to prove, beginning next weekend.

Indiana’s offense needs more explosive plays, and both Dawkins (legs) and Penix (arm) are more naturally equipped in that regard. At some point for Ramsey, it will have to be about more than managing the game and merely limiting turnovers, even as important as that is.

Should IU’s offense bog down during the Hoosiers’ three all-important non-conference games, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Allen opt for a different flavor. Allen demonstrated decisiveness when he benched former Hoosier Richard Lagow in favor of Ramsey last October and, as usual, Indiana’s margin for error is thin.

While he proves that he can consistently stretch a defense downfield, slot receiver Whop Philyor, arguably the most impressive IU player during fall camp, could become a valuable weapon for Ramsey on crossing routes. And Ramsey, now healthier than he was last fall, also seems faster than he did a year ago. That seemed to be the case during IU’s spring game, when he opened the scoring with a 53-yard touchdown run.

IU’s spring game came only days after Dawkins announced his decision to transfer to Indiana, and in the months since, Ramsey has demonstrated a sense of urgency that left a mark on his coach.

“He worked his absolute tail off all summer knowing that Michael Penix was chasing him, then knowing that we’re bringing in Brandon Dawkins and he’d come in here with a lot of experience,” Allen said.

So Indiana now has its starting quarterback.

And after an offseason of debate, it’s up to Ramsey to silence any remaining questions this fall.

“He’s a much better player than he was last year, in my opinion,” Allen said. “But he has to continue to show that.”