Indiana lands QB Dawkins as grad transfer from Arizona

Indiana's new starting quarterback heading into the 2018 campaign could be former Arizona starter Brandon Dawkins, who's en route to the Hoosiers as a graduate transfer.

"I didn't see a better fit for me," Dawkins told Adam Rittenberg of ESPN on Tuesday. "I could have committed there two weeks ago. There were other schools, but at the end of the day, Indiana definitely showed that they're interested and they wanted me, they made that clear and apparent. I really respect that about them. They weren't going to dance around. They genuinely wanted me."

Dawkins made 22 career starts for the Wildcats, and was atop the depth chart at the beginning of last season before getting demoted for Khalil Tate. He threw for 2,418 yards with 15 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in his three seasons at Arizona.

"A big thing for them is fitting the system to their quarterback," Dawkins said of his decision to move to the Big Ten program. "That's huge. If the fit isn't right, you can't just force it. Obviously, I'm going to be learning a whole new system, but they're not going to make me do things I'm not comfortable doing. They know my skills and talents and assets. They're going to push me, and I'm ready to give it my all."

Dawkins will battle returning sophomore Peyton Ramsey, who started four games in 2017, for the starting gig.

Indiana went 5-7 a year ago, and opens its 2018 slate Sept. 1 versus Florida International.