How Michael Penix's season-ending injury changes IU football's QB picture

Jordan Guskey | IndyStar

Show Caption Hide Caption IU Coach Tom Allen goes over loss to Penn State The Hoosiers now look ahead to Friday's game against Minnesota.

IU at Minnesota, 8 p.m. Friday, FS1

BLOOMINGTON – Michael Penix Jr.'s 2018 season with the Indiana Hoosiers is over.

IU coach Tom Allen announced Monday the freshman quarterback out of Tampa suffered a torn ACL in Saturday's loss to No. 16 Penn State.

"He'll have surgery here in a few weeks once that's appropriate, and then he'll begin the process of getting back," Allen said. "Had a great talk with him yesterday. And I know he's hurting and discouraged and down, but it's one of those things you've got to deal with. He has a great mentor in J-Shun Harris to help him through."

Harris tore his knee up three times in his IU career, but has returned to be an integral part of the Hoosiers this season.

Insider: Once again IU gets so close — but remains so far away

Grades: IU offense, defense gains undone by special teams gaffes in Penn State loss

Penix, who also appeared in IU's wins against Florida International and Ball State, split time with redshirt sophomore quarterback and starter Peyton Ramsey through the first half of Saturday's game. His injury came in the third quarter after a hit by two Penn State defenders, one of whom was ejected for targeting.

In what will likely end up a redshirt season, something that was a topic of conversation around Penix all year, he completed 21-of-34 passes for 219 yards and a touchdown. The NCAA's new redshirt rule allows players to see action in four games while maintaining a redshirt option.

"Goal is to have him ready for spring football so he can throw 7-on-7 for spring," Allen said. "Our quarterbacks are never live in the spring anyways, but he would just be — that would probably be the most he would do."

The second goal is for him to be 100 percent by June 1.

"His faith and his family and his strength of character and his mindset will help him through this," Allen said. "He'll be a better player, more mentally tough individual, and he'll have a confidence about his ability to overcome things when this is all said and done. Not what he wants to hear right now. He's still struggling."

"It's very upsetting," Ramsey added. "Just to see how far he's come along, especially since the spring. It's hard. It's hard for anybody. It was tough, people were there consoling him. They're there for him. The team's here for him. I'm here for him."

Until Penix returns, reigning IndyStar Mr. Football and Ben Davis product Reese Taylor will be the backup quarterback. A fellow freshman, Taylor was named IU's third-string quarterback when graduate transfer Brandon Dawkins left the program before the season and has seen snaps on offense, defense and special teams.

Taylor's ability to play multiple positions means his time at quarterback in practice has been limited to this point. But that work will intensify now.

IU offensive coordinator Mike DeBord talks quarterback position The Hoosiers will now have Reese Taylor as the team's backup quarterback.

"Obviously you've got to have an understanding of his other role that he plays as well," said Allen, referencing Taylor's play-making ability. "But, yeah, a little bit of a unique situation in that regard. Just got to do a great job as a staff of preparing him and utilizing his talents as well as having him prepared for that role."

Taylor's experience at the position in high school has Allen confident the transition will work. Taylor holds the Ben Davis school record for passing touchdowns in a season with 40 and career passing yards with 7,631 yards.

And Hoosier offensive coordinator Mike DeBord appeared confident if the team needs Taylor at quarterback Friday against Minnesota, he'll be ready.

"We're going to give him more things than what he's had, and we did that already today," DeBord said. "We'll continue to do that going right up to game time. He did a good job with it today. He's smart. He's a football player."

Ramsey said he'll try to accelerate Taylor's development as much as he can, as he did with Penix. The one week of preparation in the new role isn't a lot of time. But Ramsey knows what goes in to being a Big Ten backup quarterback and can help him with whatever he might need to understand about that mindset.

"I know that he’ll take a lot of extra time to make sure that he’s ready," Ramsey said. "I don’t necessarily know how ready he’ll be, but he’ll be as ready he can be."

Follow IndyStar sports reporter Jordan Guskey on Twitter at @JordanGuskey or email him at jguskey@gannett.com.