KURTIS ROURKE NAMED THE WINNER OF THE 2024 JON CORNISH TROPHY
VANCOUVER, BC – The Jon Cornish Trophy committee is pleased to announce that Indiana graduate student quarterback Kurtis Rourke has been named the winner of the 2024 Jon Cornish Trophy, recognizing the top Canadian performer in NCAA football this season.
A graduate student quarterback who transferred from Ohio to Indiana, Rourke led the Hoosiers to their best season in decades, going 11–2 and rewriting program history. Regarded by multiple evaluators as one of the top quarterbacks in Division I, his steady decision-making, efficiency stymied opposing defences and vaulted Indiana into uncharted territory. Earning second-team All-Big Ten honours, a ninth-place finish in the Heisman voting, and a spot as a Manning Award finalist, Rourke’s meteoric rise cements his status as an elite signal-caller with a bright professional future.
Rourke was at the Canadian Football Hall of Fame when the trophy was presented the second time to his brother Nathan in early 2019. The moment added to his focus as a redshirt freshman.
“I was at the Hall of Fame when my brother Nathan received the Cornish Trophy six years ago, and it was a goal of mine to be in that conversation and be in the running for the award,” Rourke said.
“It’s great that Canadian athletes getting more recognition, and I’m proud and honoured to receive this award representing our country,” he said.
2024 Season Statistics
Rourke’s statistics, including the College Football Playoff, were impressive:
| CMP | ATT | CMP% | YDS | AVG | TD | INT | LNG | RTG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 222 | 320 | 69.4 | 3,042 | 9.5 | 29 | 5 | 84 | 176.0 |
His performance placed him in the top 10 of several passing categories in FBS. He posted a QB Rating of 176.0 (second in FBS), was 3rd in passing yards per attempt at 9.5, was 5th in passing TDs with 29, was 8th in completion percentage at 69.4, and 9th in +300-yard games with four.
Rourke is the first Big Ten quarterback with at least 250 yards passing and three passing touchdowns in his first three career road starts. He is just the second B1G signal caller with at least three touchdown tosses in his first three career road games (Justin Fields, Ohio State).
His three B1G OPOTW honour rank as second-most in a single season in program history behind Anthony Thompson (4; 1989). He also set Indiana’s single season record for touchdown passes with 29, which also ranks tied for No. 10 on the career charts at Indiana. His six touchdown passes in a single game against Purdue to close out the season tied a school record.
Rourke’s Standout Season Garnered Extensive Recognition, Including:
- Reese’s Senior Bowl Watch List
- Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week (9/16)
- Big Ten Co-Offensive Player of the Week (10/7, 12/2)
- Manning Award Star of the Week (9/16)
- Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Top 5
- Davey O’Brien Award Semi-Finalist
- Maxwell Award Semi-Finalist
- Walter Camp Award Semi-Finalist
- All-Big Ten Second Team (Coaches, Media, AP)
- Manning Award Finalist
- Finished ninth in Heisman Trophy voting
Rourke has accepted an invitation to play in the East-West Shrine Game to further showcase his skills in preparation for the NFL Draft.
Rourke continues his family legacy by following in the footsteps of his brother Nathan as a Jon Cornish Trophy recipient. Nathan—now the starting quarterback for the CFL’s BC Lions—won the award in 2017 and 2018 while starring for the Ohio Bobcats in the Mid-American Conference. In his freshman season, Kurtis had the opportunity to play alongside his brother in Athens.
“Watching Nathan develop his game during his senior year taught me so much—how to live the college life, how to be a college quarterback. That propelled me through my next four years in Ohio,” Rourke said.
While Rourke earned the MAC Offensive Player of the Year award in 2022, his most meaningful experiences came from spending that season with Nathan and five total years at Ohio.
“I’m very grateful for my time in Ohio and for how it helped me grow as both a player and a person,” he continued. “I’ll never forget my time there. It shaped me into who I am today.”
Resurgence at Indiana in 2024
In 2024, Rourke sparked a resurgence at Indiana, helping lead the Hoosiers to their best record since 1946 under new head coach Curt Cignetti, who recruited Rourke through the transfer portal.
“It was a privilege and an honour to come here to Indiana,” he said. “This program had a lot to prove, and I came in needing to show I could compete at a higher level. We made history this season—it’s been a blast. I’m extremely grateful for the entire college football experience.”
A graduate of Holy Trinity Catholic Secondary School in Oakville, Ontario, Rourke becomes the second player to have graduated from a Canadian high school to receive the award. The only other recipient to come directly from a Canadian high school was Chuba Hubbard, who won in 2019 after graduating from Bev Facey Community High School in Sherwood Park, Alberta. Rourke is the sixth recipient of the award from Ontario over the last eight seasons.
The Results of the 2024 Cornish Voting:
- Kurtis Rourke
Grad Student/Quarterback,
Indiana Hoosiers/Oakville, ON - Dariel Djabome
Junior/Linebacker,
Rutgers Scarlet Knights/Longueil, QC - Elic Ayomanor
Junior/Wide Receiver,
Stanford Cardinal/Medicine Hat, AB - Ty Benefield
Sophomore/Safety
Boise State Broncos/Vancouver, BC - Jett Elad
Senior/Safety
UNLV Rebels/Mississauga, ON
Honourable mentions: Jaylen Smith (LB, North Texas – Hamilton, ON); Keelan White (WR, Montana – North Vancouver, BC); Rohan Jones (TE, Montana State – Montreal, QC); Nick Cenacle (WR, Hawai’i – Montreal, QC).
Winners
- 2017 – Nathan Rourke, QB, Ohio – Oakville, ON
- 2018 – Nathan Rourke, QB, Ohio – Oakville, ON
- 2019 – Chuba Hubbard, RB, Oklahoma State – Sherwood Park, AB
- 2020 – John Metchie III, WR, Alabama – Brampton, ON
- 2021 – John Metchie III, WR, Alabama – Brampton, ON
- 2022 – Chase Brown, RB, Illinois – London, ON
- 2023 – Elic Ayomanor, WR, Stanford – Medicine Hat, AB
- 2024 – Kurtis Rourke, QB, Indiana – Oakville, ON
About the Jon Cornish Trophy
Named after former CFL star and Kansas Jayhawks standout Jon Cornish, the trophy recognizes the top Canadian player in NCAA football each season. Established to highlight Canada’s growing impact on collegiate athletics, the Jon Cornish Trophy celebrates those who excel both on and off the field. More information at cornishtrophy.com
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Media Contact
Jim Mullin
Trustee, Cornish Trophy
778.996.7398
jim@northern8.com
