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ATHENS, Ohio— Ohio football alumnus Kurtis Rourke was drafted in the seventh round as the 227th overall pick of the 2025 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers (April 26). Rourke is the first Bobcat alumnus to be drafted since linebacker Quentin Poling in 2018 and the first Canadian quarterback to be drafted since Jesse Palmer in 2001.

Additionally, Rourke is the third Bobcat to be drafted in the Canadian Football League (CFL) in program history, going in the third round as the 25th overall pick to the Saskatchewan Roughriders. His brother, Nathan, was the 15th overall pick in the 2020 CFL Draft, going to the BC Lions; running back Maleek Irons was drafted by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats the previous year and was the 22nd overall pick. 
 
Rourke (Oakville, Ontario, Canada) appeared in 48 career games with 46 starts, including playing in 36 games with 33 starts over five seasons for the Bobcats (2019-23) prior to transferring to Indiana for the 2024 season. He amassed 11,486 career yards of total offense and accounted for 92 touchdowns (79 passing, 13 rushing) during his collegiate career. 
 
In just one season, Rourke made a name for himself in Bloomington. He set the IU single-season completion percentage mark (.694) as well as the single-season passing touchdowns record (29) and currently ranks No. 5 on the single-season passing yardage charts (3,042). Additionally, he posted the 21^st 2,000-yard passing season in IU history; with 3,007 yards of total offense in a single season, Rourke sits No. 8 in IU history. With three Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week selections, he ranks No. 2 in program history for single-season weekly awards. 
 
Rourke's 2024 performance was recognized by multiple post-season awards, earning second-team All-Big Ten accolades from the conference coaches and media as well as the Associated Press. He was also a Manning Award finalist and a semifinalist for the Maxwell Award, Walter Camp Award and Davey O'Brien Award. Additionally, the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Top Five. Notably, Rourke was the 2024 Jim Cornish Trophy recipient. The Cornish Trophy honors the top Canadian performer in NCAA football; Rourke was a top-five finalist in 2022 (runner-up) and 2023 (third) and his brother is a two-time Cornish Trophy recipient (2017, 2018). 
 
Rourke's name is etched in the Ohio history books. In 2023, the three-time team captain became the second-leading passer in Ohio history (Nov. 24), bumping Nathan to third. During the 2023 season, Rourke logged 11 starts for the Bobcats, tallying 2,207 passing yards on 307 passes with 195 completions. His performance earned him All-Mid-American Conference Second Team Offense accolades and a Second Team Offense Phil Steele All-MAC Postseason Team nod. 
 
Three of Ohio's top ten single-game passing yards records are from Rourke's 2022 season: all-time single-game record— set against Fordham (537) and breaking a record that had held since 1983 while also setting the program record for single-game completions (41)— second (427) and ninth (362). He finished the season with 3,256 passing yards and 244 completions, both of which rank second in program history. Additionally, Rourke averaged the most passing yards per game (296) and passed his brother in the record books with the highest single-season passing efficiency (167.7) in program history. 
 
Rourke's record-setting performance earned him 2022 MAC Offensive Player of the Year as well as the Vern Smith Leadership Award recognition. He was also named to the Davey O'Brien QB Class of 2022 (Nov. 1), was on 2022 College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) Midseason watchlist, a three-time MAC East Offensive Player of the Week (Sept. 5, Sept. 26 and Nov. 7), a two-time Manning Award "Stars of the Week" honoree (Oct. 10 and Nov. 7) and Davey O'Brien Great 8 QB (Nov. 7).
 
The 2021 season marked Rourke's first time at the helm of the program as a team captain. He played in 10 games, completing 169 passes for 1,801 yards and 11 touchdowns. In 2020, Rourke started in all three of Ohio's games, going 30-for-44 in the air. 
 
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