Five-star quarterback success

Excellent breakdown of how 5 star QBs have performed:



http://byu.scout.com/2/1120125.html



It covers the 2002 to 2005 recruiting clases. Conclusion:

Heaps obviously is not a perfect match for any of these players. However, the complete list does indicate that neither redshirting nor being a sophomore backup necessarily precludes a successful career. Not one of these players was named starting quarterback before their true freshman year. It also doesn't give any encouragement to the idea that transferring is likely to lead to greater success. In my opinion, both Olson and Mustain were likely to have a better career if they had stayed put.

What do you guys think?

I think that in hindsight I am very happy Olsen decided to take his talents to Southern California. He was no Riley Nelson.



I don't know how Heaps will turn out. He's either going to come back with a vengeance or will fade away. But I know that a transfer isn't going to help him at all.



I think part of the risk of taking a 5 star QB is that they may have already peaked. They may have already hit their ceiling while those 2-3 star guys are hungry to keep improving and hit their ceiling later. But I'm not too smart...

declocoug wrote:
I think part of the risk of taking a 5 star QB is that they may have already peaked. They may have already hit their ceiling while those 2-3 star guys are hungry to keep improving and hit their ceiling later. But I'm not too smart...

I think you're largely right. Correct me if I'm wrong here, but I remember reading in a scouting report that was one of the few knocks on Heaps coming out of high school - that he was already a finished product, had the game and the mechanics down, and didn't have much of a ceiling. Which I was happy about when I heard it - thought he would be effective from the get-go.



If Heaps transfers or doesn't pan out, I'm gonna get super-frustrated with the ensuing "what if" game we're gonna play. Especially if he never really fulfills his potential, because then we're always going to be comparing Heaps to our expectation of what a 5-star QB should be. And we'll constantly be blaming Heaps' work ethic or his smarts or heart or the coaches or the locker room or the culture, and I don't think it's really fair to any of those.

Fascinating, but not surprising. I personally don't see the "great potential" in Heaps. Sure he throws a nice football, but so can a lot of people. The kid is weak mentally and is too soft to play at this level. I get the feeling this transfer talk is all fan-derived, but even if it's true who cares!!!???

Heaps does kind of play like a panzy and does present a tough football player kind of persona. I actually kind of worried about this over the summer but dismissed it thinking he would be great anyway. Alas, I think you've got to have toughness to be great in football, and i don't see Heaps having that.

Yep, Heaps is a pansy. Most pansies lead their team on potentially game winning drives with a separated rib and then go out and have an MVP type performance in a bowl game with basically the same injury.



Heaps hasn't always been a pansy. Something happened since last year ended and this year began that led to this changed person.



The thing that killed Olsen were injuries. I'm wondering if Heaps injury at the end of last year had more of an effect on his preparation for this year than we thought. Maybe not, since it seems that most of his failures are mental and not physical.

stuckinbig10country wrote:
Yep, Heaps is a pansy. Most pansies lead their team on potentially game winning drives with a separated rib and then go out and have an MVP type performance in a bowl game with basically the same injury.



Heaps hasn't always been a pansy. Something happened since last year ended and this year began that led to this changed person.



The thing that killed Olsen were injuries. I'm wondering if Heaps injury at the end of last year had more of an effect on his preparation for this year than we thought. Maybe not, since it seems that most of his failures are mental and not physical.

Agreed. Something happened. I watched the BYU UW game from last year and Jake was farther ahead, in his first collegiate game, than he is now. He had better pocket presence, was aggressive (although he did have that REALLY awkward slide), and looked fearless. Maybe it was the broken rib(s).



http://vimeo.com/14726430

stuckinbig10country wrote:

Heaps hasn't always been a pansy. Something happened since last year ended and this year began that led to this changed person.

He got married...

Wickchad84087 wrote:

Heaps hasn't always been a pansy. Something happened since last year ended and this year began that led to this changed person.

He got married...

I have heard from one offensive player that that is a factor in all of this.

pikoi wrote:

stuckinbig10country wrote:

Heaps hasn't always been a pansy. Something happened since last year ended and this year began that led to this changed person.

He got married...

I have heard from one offensive player that that is a factor in all of this.

Makes sense.



[ Post made via Mobile Device ] http://cougarcorner.com/images/mobile.png" alt="" loading="lazy" style="max-width:100%">

I think it really depends on the individual. Some players sincerely believe that they are destined for greatness and the NFL as soon as they receive a 5 star designation. Some work hard no matter what star designation they receive. Personally I tend to like the 3 star kid who comes in knowing he's going to have to work for everything.

In more ways than one probably.



1. It made him soft.

2. Making the announcement, skipping a mission, and getting married quite young tells the world and his team that he is on the NFL path (before he has achieved anything!)



BYU teammates are not going to respect that one bit.

mizzoucoug wrote:
In more ways than one probably.



1. It made him soft.

2. Making the announcement, skipping a mission, and getting married quite young tells the world and his team that he is on the NFL path (before he has achieved anything!)



BYU teammates are not going to respect that one bit.

Neither are fans.



[ Post made via Mobile Device ] http://cougarcorner.com/images/mobile.png" alt="" loading="lazy" style="max-width:100%">

I learned yesterday from a very reliable source that is very close to the heaps situation that there are a lot of off-field issues he's dealing with, most of which are not a product of anything he's done. I'm not going to air these issues cause its not my place, but if most of us were dealing with this stuff it would severely screw with your psyche too. From what I learned I believe this to be the source of most his struggles. I think we should lay off.



[ Post made via Mobile Device ] http://cougarcorner.com/images/mobile.png" alt="" loading="lazy" style="max-width:100%">

Five star quarterbacks beware - Fans, players, coaches, and schools set the bar so high that success is unlikely. Living up to expectations is impossible. Being so highly rated does you no favor, with the exception of school choice and scholarship. And have a VERY strong backbone, because the comments will be so demeaning....

Note to five-star recruits. Don't be the worst player at your position in half a century and the fans won't get after you.

declocoug wrote:
I think that in hindsight I am very happy Olsen decided to take his talents to Southern California. He was no Riley Nelson.



I don't know how Heaps will turn out. He's either going to come back with a vengeance or will fade away. But I know that a transfer isn't going to help him at all.



I think part of the risk of taking a 5 star QB is that they may have already peaked. They may have already hit their ceiling while those 2-3 star guys are hungry to keep improving and hit their ceiling later. But I'm not too smart...

This - first sentence last paragraph. Generally speaking, not Heaps specific as it may or may not apply, I have seen parents start a kid in school a year late for the specific purpose to create athletic advantage - man among boys. That works for a while - but by age 19 it starts to make less of a difference and can no longer mask other deficiencies.



Some, with the resources, send the kid to every camp in the country, get famous personal coaches with great contacts, and equip them with the latest and greatest. Those advantages can create man among boys advantages in high school but become less leveraged in college.



Bottom line you may be able to prop someone up to have great advantage in high school with intensive training and maybe even an age advantage, but leave them little room to progress further.



[ Post made via Mobile Device ] http://cougarcorner.com/images/mobile.png" alt="" loading="lazy" style="max-width:100%">

I think he's young and a redshirt year would do him a lot of good and allow him time to get things figured out.

trueblue72 wrote:
I learned yesterday from a very reliable source that is very close to the heaps situation that there are a lot of off-field issues he's dealing with, most of which are not a product of anything he's done. I'm not going to air these issues cause its not my place, but if most of us were dealing with this stuff it would severely screw with your psyche too. From what I learned I believe this to be the source of most his struggles. I think we should lay off.



[ Post made via Mobile Device ] http://cougarcorner.com/images/mobile.png" alt="" loading="lazy" style="max-width:100%">

If he is dealing with personal issues and struggles that are distracting him from the game, then it is probably best that he sit out a year until he can get football back up to 5th on his list of priorities. ;)



Seriously though, if he has those kinds of things going on I feel for him. Hopefully those issues will resolve themselves, he gets some confidence back, and he becomes the player we all hope he can be for 2013. I'm not giving up on the kid yet.