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Tuesday, March 19
The Indiana Daily Student

sports football

Sudfeld ready to be 'the guy'

Nate Sudfeld Cutout

CHICAGO — Nate Sudfeld said it was “bittersweet” when he learned in June that his fellow quarterback Tre Roberson was transferring to Illinois State.

On one end of the spectrum, Sudfeld was losing a friend and teammate. But on the other, the Hoosiers’ long drawn out quarterback race was decided.

For the first time since IU Coach Kevin Wilson was hired on Dec. 7, 2010, IU has an undisputed quarterback coming into fall camp.

It’s Sudfeld’s job now.

“I definitely understand and am cognizant of the responsibilities I have and the responsibility I have to my team this year, especially,” Sudfeld said. “But at the same time, I’d like to think I’m preparing just as hard as I was beforehand, if not a little harder, just because I understand it is a big year for our program.”

Before games this past season, Sudfeld and ?Roberson would each prepare for games as a starter. The two shared reps in practice, rarely knowing which of IU’s two quarterbacks would start or if they would play at all.

During pregame walkthroughs, the starter would remain a mystery until IU Coach Kevin Wilson finally alerted one or the other that he was starting.

From there, both the starter and the day’s backup would stay on their toes, knowing that at any given time Wilson could pull the switch at quarterback and insert either player back into the lineup.

The constant internal competition made Sudfeld a better player, he said. Roberson would push Sudfeld in every practice, helping Sudfeld continue to improve from week to week, a trait he’s said he’s embraced.

“One of my biggest strengths is I feel like I get a lot better every week, every year,” Sudfeld said. “I think that’s a big part of my game, is just constant improvement.”

Sudfeld, who models his game after Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, admitted it was sometimes challenging having two quarterbacks. Both wanted to lead the offense, but neither wanted to step on the toes of the other.

Now that the starting job rests in Sudfeld’s hands alone, the 6-foot-5, 232-pound quarterback said he’s been working on being a vocal leader while still making sure he doesn’t get complacent being “the guy.”

His teammates have ?noticed.

“Nate has always been a quiet guy,” senior linebacker David Cooper said. “He leads more on the field, but since he really has that role now, he and Shane (Wynn) have really been our leaders of the offense. Both of those guys came from being humble guys to now being more ?vocal.”

In shared playing time this past season, Sudfeld completed 60.2 percent of his passes for 2,523 yards and 21 touchdowns.

He also said he felt he made huge strides from the start to the end of the year, and that improvement has carried through the summer. He expects an even bigger year this season.

Wilson talked highly of Sudfeld’s ability to be a passer, which he said not all quarterbacks are. He said he believes some quarterbacks have arm strength and can throw hard, but not all quarterbacks can place passes where only his receiver can get to the ball.

The knack for being able to make the perfect throws to get an extra yard is something only a certain number of the game’s signal callers have, but Wilson believes Sudfeld has it.

Wilson said he believes Sudfeld has potential to not only become a better passer, but also to become one of the best quarterbacks in the Big Ten.

“He should be potentially the premier quarterback in this league and he has a chance to be both physically and he has a chance to be statistically,” Wilson said. “Now will he? I don’t know. But he has a chance to be.

“He can make all the shots, and there’s a lot of potential to be really good. We’re just scratching the surface on how far he can keep evolving.”

With IU’s season opener Aug. 30 against Indiana State rapidly approaching, Sudfeld has been working on getting all of his receivers on the same page after losing three of IU’s top targets to the NFL in Cody Latimer, Kofi Hughes and Ted Bolser.

Although major talent was lost, Sudfeld thinks this year’s group of receivers is the deepest the team has had. He likes the number of options he’ll have throughout the receiving depth chart.

As for just how good IU’s offense can get, Sudfeld said the sky is the limit. When the Modesto, Calif., native was informed IU averaged 38.4 points per game in 2013, his response showed just how confident IU’s starter is in his weapons on the field.

“Let’s go for 40 then,” he said.

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