Wright-Baker emerges as IU’s starting quarterback

Three games into his reign as IU’s starting quarterback, sophomore Edward Wright-Baker can still list improvements he needs to make.

“Decision making, knowing when to throw the bubble and knowing when to run the ball when the play breaks down, knowing when to not take unnecessary hits,” Wright-Baker said. “I think I improved from week two to week three on my deep balls.”

That could be a scary thought for future defenses.

IU Coach Kevin Wilson noted after the Hoosiers’ season opener against Ball State that it was largely Wright-Baker’s improvement on long passes that won him the starting job, instead of fellow sophomore Dusty Kiel.

Wright-Baker backed up his coach with a 65-yard touchdown bomb to sophomore Duwyce Wilson against Ball State and a 40-yard scoring strike to sophomore wide receiver Kofi Hughes against South Carolina State.

Deep passes aside, Wright-Baker has often found himself forced to make plays with his legs this season. He is averaging 33.7 yards per game this year on the ground, which he acknowledged is perhaps too much.

“I’m hurting the receivers more when I’m out scrambling and running everywhere,” Wright-Baker said. “Let the play develop — that’s what I need to do.”

Wright-Baker’s willingness to flee the pocket has cost the Hoosiers at times this season. Against Virginia in IU’s home opener, the quarterback fumbled at IU’s own 14-yard line with 1:13 to play, setting up the Cavaliers’ game-winning field goal.

A third-quarter drive against South Carolina State ended deep in opposing territory after Wright-Baker again fumbled from a hit.

“It’s a wake-up call,” he said. “I have to hold the ball with two hands in the pocket and hold it tight. Getting out of the pocket with the ball in one hand, I’ve really been hurting myself. It’s not what my coaches want me to do. I get yelled at every time I’m out there with one hand. I’ve got to put two hands on the ball every time I’m out scrambling and running. I’ve got to protect the ball.”

Wright-Baker found himself briefly on the bench after fumbling the ball against the Bulldogs. That was a decision by Wilson, though, and not at all due to injuries from the
jarring hit.

“That’s one thing that doesn’t go through my head at all,” Wright-Baker said. “When I make that decision, it’s all instincts. I’ve been playing since I was young. I trust what I can do with my feet and my ability, that I can pick up a first down, make a play. It’s just instincts.”

Steve Cooley said he remembers those instincts. As Wright-Baker’s head coach at Jeffersonville High School, Cooley oversaw the quarterback’s development from raw runner to starter for the Red Devils.

“He’s always been an athlete,” Cooley said. “Developing that pocket presence has been a thing. His whole life — he’s always been able to run. It’s really good that he developed that kind of pocket presence. He’s really worked hard to make himself a pocket passer.”

Wright-Baker started for three seasons at Jeffersonville, leaving as the team’s all-time leading passer with 6,558 yards on 271 completions.

“I just remember a lot of little moments,” Cooley said. “He really turned it against Evansville Reitz his senior year. He was just all over the field, an unbelievable play-maker during the game.”

Wright-Baker, though, argues he was far from a complete player in high school.

“I didn’t really get good at passing until I got here, honestly,” he said. “In high school I could run it. I could throw a deep ball, or I could just throw quick slants or something.”

Cooley said Wright-Baker received interest from a number of college teams, including Notre Dame, but many wanted him as a safety. Wright-Baker had been a signal caller since seventh grade and hoped to continue in that role.

IU, Purdue, Kentucky and West Virginia recruited him as a quarterback. The similarities between the offenses IU ran under Bill Lynch and Cooley’s Jeffersonville schemes ultimately brought Wright-Baker to IU.

“We ran a pistol offense, sort of what Auburn does,” Wright-Baker said. “It was sort of what Indiana did last year. Ran the ball, did a lot of read plays, did a lot of quick slants like we did here.”

Wright-Baker redshirted his first year on campus before playing sparingly, mostly late in games, last season behind Ben Chappell.

Though reportedly behind Kiel after spring drills, Wright-Baker emerged as the team’s starting quarterback based on his improvement in fall camp.

“He looks night-and-day different every week,” Cooley said. “He’s definitely taken his decision making to the next level. If anyone is going to be successful, it’s going to be Edward. He’s too determined to fail. He’s a winner in everything.”