The Grass is Always Greener

The various reasons posited for why Heaps left BYU include (i) BYU's new emphasis on the dual-threat QB, (ii) didn't want to redshirt, (iii) tired of QB controversies and having to fight for a start, and (iv) growing schisms with fellow players and coaching staffs.



Let's hope the primary reason was number (iv) because at Kansas Heaps is now finding (i) Weiss has benched his pocket-passing Senior for a dual-threat freshman and an option-based offense, (ii) he is redshirting this season, and (iii) instead of inheriting the starting job from Crist's departure, Crist's benching means Heaps will now have to earn the starting job from an incumbent underclassman.



Let's just hope his wife loves Kansas.

This is an opportunity for Jake to rise up or quit again. Weis did say Heaps was the best QB in practice during fall camp. But, Heaps was also the best practice QB at BYU.



This move is likely an investment in future depth, and Heaps cannot play this year, but the change in offensive identity - likely troubling for Jake.



Maybe Heaps will still be the guy next year and this guy will be the wildcat.



I was once wondering if the fact that Heaps has never taken a snap at KU would enable him to transfer back to BYU or elsewhere without sitting out another year.



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

Could Jake transfer back without sitting out?

SpiffCoug wrote:
Could Jake transfer back without sitting out?

Do we want a guy who would have quit twice? I'll take a gimpy Taysom Hill personally.

frdbtr wrote:

Could Jake transfer back without sitting out?

Do we want a guy who would have quit twice? I'll take a gimpy Taysom Hill personally.

True. I'm just not sold on Taysom's passing yet. But maybe if the offense he runs is designed around his throwing and not running and he would look better.

SpiffCoug wrote:

SpiffCoug wrote:
Could Jake transfer back without sitting out?

Do we want a guy who would have quit twice? I'll take a gimpy Taysom Hill personally.

True. I'm just not sold on Taysom's passing yet. But maybe if the offense he runs is designed around his throwing and not running and he would look better.

Frankly, I thought Taysom's passing looked fine, better than Heaps did as a freshman and Taysom had been out of football for 2 years. I really think his passing will improve with more reps and more study of the offense. He was simply slow on his reads and didn't read the linebackers/safeties over the middle very good since every throw I saw him try over the middle gave me heart failure and one got intercepted. His acccuracy will improve when he is making his reads and delivering faster.

Taysom's accuracy is already night and day better than Riley's (at his best) and Heaps' as a sophomore. I think he has all the tools to be an upper tier QB in college football the next few years...IF Doman grows a brain and allows him to be a thrower FIRST. Seems to me he learned his lesson but you never know.

mizzoucoug wrote:
Taysom's accuracy is already night and day better than Riley's (at his best) and Heaps' as a sophomore. I think he has all the tools to be an upper tier QB in college football the next few years...IF Doman grows a brain and allows him to be a thrower FIRST. Seems to me he learned his lesson but you never know.

Not sure how you are coming to that conclusion since he was throwing to his first read on most passing plays and when he went to his secondary reads either made bad throws that went as incompletions or he threw the interception over the middle. This is not a criticism of Hill by me for anyone ready to make that assumption. It is just an observation due to him being a young player in a system he is still learning. Doman will call a game with more throwing the more that Hill becomes good at making the right reads and throwing on time. His play calling with Hill was a game plan to take advantage of a freak athlete at QB along with a terrific young RB in Williams. You will see a different offense with Hill if he wins the starting job next year.



I agree with the Heaps as a Sophomore assesment though, not sure why (maybe because he skipped summer workouts) but Heaps never progressed past throwing to his first option during his entire stay at BYU.

frdbtr wrote:

Taysom's accuracy is already night and day better than Riley's (at his best) and Heaps' as a sophomore. I think he has all the tools to be an upper tier QB in college football the next few years...IF Doman grows a brain and allows him to be a thrower FIRST. Seems to me he learned his lesson but you never know.

Not sure how you are coming to that conclusion since he was throwing to his first read on most passing plays and when he went to his secondary reads either made bad throws that went as incompletions or he threw the interception over the middle. This is not a criticism of Hill by me for anyone ready to make that assumption. It is just an observation due to him being a young player in a system he is still learning. Doman will call a game with more throwing the more that Hill becomes good at making the right reads and throwing on time. His play calling with Hill was a game plan to take advantage of a freak athlete at QB along with a terrific young RB in Williams. You will see a different offense with Hill if he wins the starting job next year.



I agree with the Heaps as a Sophomore assesment though, not sure why (maybe because he skipped summer workouts) but Heaps never progressed past throwing to his first option during his entire stay at BYU.

When and where to throw is way more important than how far, fast, or pretty the ball travels. Ask Kenny Stabler, Jake The Snake, and all of the other guts that made a living making plays throwing ugly passes.



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

mizzoucoug wrote:
IF Doman grows a brain and allows him to be a thrower FIRST. Seems to me he learned his lesson but you never know.

I think Taysom, like Riley, enjoys running and the contact. But I agree that Doman needs to call on his qb to carry the ball less often. And riley/Taysom need to learn how to get outof bounds and slide.

I went back and looked and Taysom was at 60.5% completion before the injury. On the season, Riley is at 60.0%. Jake was at 57.1% last year and Riley 57.4%. In 2010 they were at 57.0% and 51.2% respectively.



That was much higher than I thought Taysom was at. He has a low, PER (124.67) not because of his accuracy, which is decent, but because he hasn't/doesn't complete many throws down field. Which has been a big flaw in the offense the last two year.



Riley has gone down field more the last two games and it's helping the offense.



Going down field would be good for the offense, the QB and the team's PER.

Back to the OP - Heaps was quoted in The D-News yesterday as saying that he is using this Red Shirt seaon to improve and it is making him a better QB than he would be if he was playing now.



Maybe he has learned some things.



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

Hill is going to be good.

Hill will be as good as Brandon Doman can play call for him.

Let's not forget Ammon Olsen. I'd like to see where he's at in Spring Ball before crowning Hill the incumbent. Doman says Bronco compliments Olsen more than any quarterback on the team since Beck.

snoscythe wrote:
Let's not forget Ammon Olsen. I'd like to see where he's at in Spring Ball before crowning Hill the incumbent. Doman says Bronco compliments Olsen more than any quarterback on the team since Beck.

Oh great. hopefully this is not riley 2.0.



also interesting article on heaps. I don't think there is any question that jake will be starting next year, despite the topic of the original post.



http://www2.kusports.com/news/2012/nov/06/kansas-quarterback-jake-heaps-using-transfer-year-/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

jonnylingo wrote:

Let's not forget Ammon Olsen. I'd like to see where he's at in Spring Ball before crowning Hill the incumbent. Doman says Bronco compliments Olsen more than any quarterback on the team since Beck.

Oh great. hopefully this is not riley 2.0.



also interesting article on heaps. I don't think there is any question that jake will be starting next year, despite the topic of the original post.



http://www2.kusports.com/news/2012/nov/06/kansas-quarterback-jake-heaps-using-transfer-year-/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Having two QBs who can play is a plus - not a minus - we sure could have used an experienced backup vs BSU and U.



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

hawkwing wrote:
Hill will be as good as Brandon Doman can play call for him.

The funny thing is, Doman's play calling is always praised when the players execute what he calls and he is always criticized when they don't (utah/bsu). If it hadn't been for a miscommunication in the utah state game, everyone was ready to praise his game plan for that too. But alas, an injury to Taysom hill brought on the stormy clouds for a full week after a victory.

frdbtr wrote:

Hill will be as good as Brandon Doman can play call for him.

The funny thing is, Doman's play calling is always praised when the players execute what he calls and he is always criticized when they don't (utah/bsu). If it hadn't been for a miscommunication in the utah state game, everyone was ready to praise his game plan for that too. But alas, an injury to Taysom hill brought on the stormy clouds for a full week after a victory.

for a full week? taysom is injured for the rest of the season and beyond because he is an idiot. how else to explain calling in a qb draw on that play. whether there was a 'miscommunication' as to the clock is rolling or execute they play, THE PLAY SHOULD HAVE BEEN VICTORY FORMATION. taysom paid for that monster incompetent mistake while doman and bronco were right there on the sideline.



and please, that is not the only problem people have had with doman. qb decisions, offensive line, play calling, he has clearly been in over his head.

jonnylingo wrote:

hawkwing wrote:
Hill will be as good as Brandon Doman can play call for him.

The funny thing is, Doman's play calling is always praised when the players execute what he calls and he is always criticized when they don't (utah/bsu). If it hadn't been for a miscommunication in the utah state game, everyone was ready to praise his game plan for that too. But alas, an injury to Taysom hill brought on the stormy clouds for a full week after a victory.

for a full week? taysom is injured for the rest of the season and beyond because he is an idiot. how else to explain calling in a qb draw on that play. whether there was a 'miscommunication' as to the clock is rolling or execute they play, THE PLAY SHOULD HAVE BEEN VICTORY FORMATION. taysom paid for that monster incompetent mistake while doman and bronco were right there on the sideline.



and please, that is not the only problem people have had with doman. qb decisions, offensive line, play calling, he has clearly been in over his head.

Taysom saw "run the clock" and called his own play. He could have just as easily called a run to Jamaal williams instead of running it himself. It was not a called QB draw by Doman. Bronco saw that Taysom was about to run an actuall play and tried to call timeout....too late. I guess though, I am talking to a brick wall because no matter what, you will always err on the side of the coaches being idiots.