NCAA rules prohibit coaches from talking about specific recruits until national signing day.
That meant Indiana coach Kevin Wilson couldn't address Wednesday's news of landing an oral commitment from Gunner Kiel, the top-rated pro-style quarterback in the country for the class of 2012.
But Wilson did discuss this year's quarterback situation at Big Ten media day Thursday in Chicago. The first-year coach didn't name a starter, but he said it won't be quarterback-by-committee.
"Don't plan on playing two," he said. "Don't want a quarterback looking over his shoulder."
Wilson listed Dusty Kiel, Edward Wright-Baker, Teddy Schell and Adam Follett as the four candidates to replace Ben Chappell. Kiel and Wright-Baker, both sophomores, are the perceived leaders of the pack, but Wilson didn't publicly tip his hand.
"I have yet to watch one snap of last year's games," Wilson said. "If you're a police officer trying to catch me, you're going to have to chase me because I'm not looking in the rearview mirror. I'm looking forward.
"I'm not allowed to go watch them throw in January and February. I have 15 practices (from the spring). I'm not going to judge and anoint the quarterback in 15."
Kiel, Gunner's older brother, completed four of 17 passes for 71 yards in five games last season. Wright-Baker went five for 12 with one touchdown, one interception and 80 yards in five games.
"You have to earn the position," Wilson said. "You have to earn the respect of your peers. Sam Bradford, we named him 10 days before his first start (at Oklahoma). (Sooners) Jason White and Nate Hybl are in a battle. We went with Jason, he got hurt. Nate's on the Rose Bowl MVP (in 2003).
"Whoever is at Pasadena, which we're all going to be fighting to be out there, if you look on the wall, you'll see Nate Hybl. That was in a battle that went down to the last week.
"I wanted our players to battle it out. I sleep very comfortably when I watched what our kids did this spring. I think our offense, with (co-offensive coordinators) Rod Smith, Kevin Johns, myself, all our coaches having coached the position, I think we know how to develop it. I think we know how to put them in good positions."
One of the quarterback's main targets, wide receiver Damarlo Belcher, made the inaugural Big Ten's Players to Watch list.
Belcher, a North Side graduate who caught 78 passes for 832 yards last year, was one of 12 players selected by the media. The list includes five players from the Leaders Division and five more from the Legends, with room for more because of ties.
Note: Jason Spriggs, a 6-foot-7, 256-pound offensive tackle/tight end from Elkhart Concord Community High School, made an oral commitment, according to various reports. He is the 15th member of IU's class of 2012.
