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Thursday, March 28
The Indiana Daily Student

sports

Hoosiers add 3-star quarterback

Throughout the 2014 season and into offseason recruiting, IU Coach Kevin Wilson has been in need of a quarterback.

On Monday, he got one.

Former N.C. State quarterback commit Austin King announced he was committing to the Hoosiers Monday, one day after decommitting from N.C. State. The 247Sports composite 3-star quarterback is the Hoosiers 15th commitment to its 2015 class.

“After countless days of thought and prayer with myself and my family, I have decided to advance my education and football career at Indiana University,” King said via a statement on Twitter. “I would like to thank Coach Wilson for the opportunity. GO HOOSIERS!! #CrimsonArmy15.”

King, a native of Alpharetta Ga., is a 6-foot-3, 193 pound quarterback ranked by 247Sports as the No. 80 prospected in Georgia, the No. 28 pro-style quarterback in the country and the No. 789 overall player in the class of 2015.

IU received a pair of commitments Sunday from players who had played quarterback in high school — Isaac James and Mike Majette — but neither was recruited to play quarterback.

With King, there was no doubt he'd come to Bloomington as a pass-thrower. He completed 56 percent of his passes as a senior for 2,370 yards. He threw 20 touchdowns compared to just seven interceptions.

His Alpharetta high school team went 10-2, won a regional title and qualified for the state Georgia state playoffs. 

King has spent the last few weeks talking with Wilson before ultimately committing on Monday.

The quarterback commitment is a welcome addition to an IU team that lost five quarterbacks in a matter of 12 months.

Former IU commit Tommy Stevens announced last month that he had chosen to flip to Penn State after originally committing to IU over the summer.

That decommitment came after IU lost both junior Nate Sudfeld and freshman Chris Covington to season-ending injuries in 2014. Cam Coffman and Tre Roberson, two underclassmen with starting experience at IU, both transferred before the 2014 season even began.

If Sudfeld is able to return in 2015 and his healthy, there is no heir apparent the following year. It would be freshman Zander Diamont’s third season with the program in a season IU was anticipating needing a new quarterback to begin with.

King could potentially be a redshirt freshman in 2016, meaning he could very well be a future option for Wilson down the line to be IU’s next starting quarterback.

IU attempted to recruit East Mississippi Community College quarterback Chad Kelley, but ultimately lost out to Ole Miss. 

The Hoosiers have also already offered a scholarship to 2016 Avon quarterback Brandon Peters, who ranks among the best players at quarterback nationally. 

Regardless, if the past season has shown anything, it never hurts to have quarterback depth in the event that one—or five—potential starting quarterbacks are no longer able to play.

 

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