Cignetti recruited Edwards to his JMU program before the latter opted for
Indiana football is off to a red-hot 4-0 start in Curt Cignetti’s first year leading the program in Bloomington. He’ll look to better that with another win on Saturday against a visiting Maryland program.
Maryland has made the move from longtime quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa, whose eligibility was exhausted. Billy Edwards Jr, long a backup for the Terrapins, has taken over starting quarterback duty in College Park.
Indiana fans probably remember the time he came in for an injured Tagovailoa and sealed the win in Bloomington. But before he was a Maryland quarterback he was a high school recruit in Burke, Virginia, where he drew the eyes of then-JMU head coach Cignetti.
“I’ve known Billy Edwards for a while,” Cignetti said at his Monday media availability. “My first year at JMU, he was the guy we had targeted. I sat with his dad in my office a couple times.”
Cignetti knows quarterback play, just look at how the one he took from the transfer portal is performing for his team so far. Being noticed and recruited by Cignetti definitely points in Edwards’ favor.
“You know, he can make all the throws,” Cignetti added. “He’s got a lot of snaps under his belt. They’ll also run him, and obviously he’s a threat when he gets out of the pocket as well when he drops back and escapes the pocket. So he’s a very competitive guy with good arm strength, and good leader. And they like him, and I can see why.”