Indiana Quarterback Kurtis Rourke Earns Invite To NFL Combine

Former Indiana quarterback Kurtis Rourke has earned an invite to the 2025 NFL combine, per an announcement from the league. He'll join fellow former Hoosier C.J. West as the lone Indiana players at the event. 

Rourke shined in his lone season at Indiana, completing 69.4% of his passes for 2042 yards, 29 touchdowns and five interceptions. The quarterback also revealed that he had been playing most of the season on a torn ACL, which he recently underwent surgery to repair. 

Though the surgery will likely make him a limited participant in the Combine, Rourke is projected to be one of the top quarterbacks taken in the draft. Mel Kiper had the Hoosier quarterback as the eighth best prospect at the position in the 2025 NFL Draft. 

His mobility was limited by the knee injury, but Rourke looked like a pro pocket passer all season with Indiana, earning the fourth-highest passing grade nationwide from Pro Football Focus. 

Like many young quarterbacks, Rourke can throw the long ball, completing 46% of his passes over 20 yards last season. What sets him apart though is his decision making and willing to hit the check down when the home run play wasn't there.

Even with the limited mobility he dealt with due to the knee injury, Rourke was above average when pressured. He started taking more sacks towards the end of the year as his front five got worn down, but still avoided turning the ball over when plays broke down. 

Assuming Rourke regains some mobility as he recovers from surgery, some NFL franchise will get a steal of a quarterback who has been more effective with his legs before. 

Rourke was never a dual-threat guy, but managed to rush for over 200 yards and three yards per carry in each of his seasons as starter at Ohio. In each of his last two seasons in the MAC, he rushed for four touchdowns and had runs of 20-plus yards. 

Whatever his health status come Draft day, Rourke's willingness to put it all on the line for his team should give him an added boost. The ACL tear has dominated headlines recently, but Rourke also played a number of games last year with a surgically repaired thumb. 

Rourke is currently projected to go somewhere around the fifth round, meaning he'll likely be a backup for a few years wherever he lands. With his talent and toughness though, Rourke is the kind of player that can stick around the league for a long time and help a team win.