Some of the country’s top college quarterbacks are spending the weekend down in Louisiana, and IU signal caller Connor Bazelak is among them.
A transfer from Missouri, Bazelak is one of several quarterbacks selected to serve as a counselor for this year’s Manning Passing Academy. The four-day event, which begins on Thursday and runs through Sunday, is held at Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, Louisiana. It serves as one of the country’s premier football camps.
The Manning Passing Academy prides itself on helping high school quarterbacks, running backs, receivers and tight ends realize their full potential on and off the football field. Now, Bazelak is among the select few chosen to serve as mentors and aid in that process. He’ll also get a chance to learn from Peyton and Eli Manning, and other pros.
Bazelak is one of 45 college quarterbacks scheduled to attend the camp. From the Big Ten, he will be joined by Purdue’s Aidan O’Connell, Iowa’s Spencer Petras and Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud.
Widely viewed as the clubhouse leader for the starting quarterback job coming out of spring practice, Bazelak brings a wealth of Power Five experience to Bloomington.
Bazelak threw for 5,084 yards with 23 touchdowns, 17 interceptions, and a 66.4 completion percentage in 20 starts (24 games) from 2019-21 for the Tigers.
The 6-foot-3, 215-pounder started all 11 games in which he appeared in 2021 and threw for 2,548 yards. Bazelak, a team captain, added 16 TDs and 11 INTs with a 65.3 percent completion rate.
He was named the 2020 SEC Co-Freshman of the Year in a vote by the league’s coaches as a redshirt freshman. Bazelak earned a spot on PFF’s SEC All-Freshman team and carded SEC Freshman of the Week honors three times.
The Dayton, Ohio, native posted a 5-3 record as starter in 2020 and totaled 2,574 yards with seven scores and six interceptions, and he completed 67.3 percent of his passes.
IU head coach Tom Allen chose to not name Bazelak as his starter, allowing a competition with veteran backup Jack Tuttle to carry into fall camp.
“A lot of guys have played a lot of football for us in game situations,” Allen said during the spring. “Obviously, Connor brings a ton of experience from another school.
“It’s a critical position. Everybody knows that. Their ability to grow, and to develop and to be able to come together as a team is a big part of this.
“They have to lead that group. They have to not only lead themselves, but they have to lead that (locker) room. They’ve got to be able to put the team on their back and that takes a lot of time, and it takes preparation.”
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