IU QB preview: Can Hoosiers sustain a full season under center?

Will season No. 5 finally yield the magic for Kevin Wilson?

No, that's not talking about becoming bowl eligible -- though I suppose all of these position previews will deal with that question in a micro way.

That's asking whether this will be the first season in Wilson's five in Bloomington wherein one quarterback handles the majority of the workload behind center.

From Ed Wright-Baker, to Dusty Kiel, to Tre Roberson, to Cameron Coffman, to Nate Sudfeld, back to Roberson ... you get the idea, all the way down to Zander Diamont last fall. For a myriad of reasons, IU has never maintained one starting quarterback through a whole season under Wilson.

Sometimes, that's been by choice, as it was in 2013, when Wilson alternated Roberson and Sudfeld. Sometimes it's been because of injuries, like Roberson's broken leg the season before. And sometimes, the players at Wilson's disposal simply haven't been consistent enough.

Making a bowl game this year won't be as simple as keeping one quarterback fit and firing, it won't be terribly more complex, either.

NAMES TO KNOW

* Heights and weights for freshmen are current as of Signing Day.

Nate Sudfeld, 6-5, 240, Sr.

Zander Diamont, 6-1, 173, So.

Danny Cameron, 6-1, 204, R-Fr.

Austin King, 6-3, 195, Fr.

Nate Boudreau, 6-4, 223, R-Jr. (walk-on)

HOW OPEN IS THIS COMPETITION?

With respect to Diamont, who shouldered a heavy load when Sudfeld went down last season, it should still be the senior's job to lose.

His shoulder injury now behind him, Sudfeld is being talked about as one of the best returning quarterbacks in the Big Ten (he's higher on the list if you combine all of Ohio State's QBs into one collective).

Sudfeld is speaking at Big Ten media days. He's got 34 career touchdowns and nearly 4,500 career yards. He's even being talked about as a potential top-five quarterback (at his position) in next year's draft.

Diamont has surely improved with the freshman-to-sophomore leap often being a noticeably productive one for college athletes. King is well thought of, but young.

Sudfeld is still Indiana's best option behind center. More than that, he's the face of this program.

ROOM FOR ROTATION?

It's a question worth asking, purely because of Diamont's mobility.

This is not an argument for a two-quarterback system by any means. But if Diamont -- who had 133 rushing yards and two touchdowns last season -- can provide a dual-threat option occasionally, then it might be worth exploring the possibility of a wildcat package or something similar.

Again, Sudfeld is the clear No. 1 here. His position mates shouldn't be forgotten completely, though.

FINAL WORD

It can't be reiterated enough how important continuity is at quarterback for Indiana this season.

Roberson's six quarters were too small of a sample size to make any realistic claims about a bowl game had he stayed healthy in 2012, and the rotation worked well enough to bring IU within a few yards of the postseason in 2013.

But Sudfeld's injury crippled a passing offense that, after finishing atop the Big Ten in 2012 and 2013, fell to the bottom of the cellar last fall. While not all of that regression can be stuck on losing Sudfeld, a hefty chunk certainly can.

In so many ways, year five is a crucial one for Wilson. His team is completely his now, and a bowl berth is what's expected of coaches given the time to gain that kind of ownership of their program.

Keeping his starting quarterback, well, starting for a full season will be critical to that end.

Follow Star reporter Zach Osterman on Twitter: @ZachOsterman.