Colts Named as Local Star's 'Best Fit' in Draft

A lot of big things turned for Indiana University Football in 2024.

The season prior, they finished with a 3-9 record, including 1-8 in Big Ten play. The Hoosiers hit the reset button, hiring new head coach Curt Cignetti, who brought in several key players from the transfer portal, including quarterback Kurtis Rourke out of Ohio University.

Rourke won the starting quarterback job and would embark on what would be a historic season for IU Football, finishing with an 11-2 record (8-1 in the Big Ten), and an appearance in the expended College Football Playoff. It was inarguably one of the greatest seasons in program history, and Rourke was a big reason why.

According to ESPN draft expert Jordan Reid, Rourke is an ideal fit to stay in the state of Indiana, as his best NFL team fit is the Indianapolis Colts.

"Why aren't more people talking about this guy?" an AFC scouting director said to Reid about Rourke during the season. "He's had nothing but success on two levels, and there hasn't been any drop-off since he moved up."

Rourke set new single-season career highs in completion percentage (69.4%), yards per pass attempt (9.5), passing touchdowns (29), and passer rating (176.0) en route to Second-Team All-Big Ten honors in 2024. The most impressive part? He did it on a torn ACL throughout the season.

The knee required surgery after the season, which has held Rourke out of completely participating in pre-draft workouts, although he did attend the NFL Scouting Combine in February as well as the Colts' local pro day in April. Rourke is expected to be ready to go again by or near the start of NFL training camps.

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He has great size for the QB position at 6'4", 220. He is accurate, patient, and willing to stand tall in the pocket with pressure driving in. He's essentially the ideal backup quarterback, who can keep an offense moving without making silly mistakes.

There are downsides to Rourke as a prospect, however. First, the uncontrollables; he is an older prospect, currently 24 and set to turn 25 in October. He's also got the knee injury, which isn't new. According to Reid, Rourke initially injured his knee in 2022 while with Ohio.

Overall, while there probably are better fits for the Colts at quarterback throughout the draft, Rourke is a good option to replace Sam Ehlinger as the QB3 for 2025.

Rourke is mature and has plenty of experience, playing at Ohio from 2019-'23 before finishing with the Hoosiers in 2024. He's also a career 67.0% passer who has eclipsed 3,000 yards in a season twice and 25-plus touchdowns twice. He also has 13 career rushing touchdowns, although that's not a big part of his game.

If the Colts are looking for a predictable player who can operate the offense cleanly, throwing the ball accurately and making good decisions along the way, Rourke is a good option for them in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft, or as a priority undrafted free agent.