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Is Jake Heaps now the presumed starter next year?

by Cougarfan87 · 11/15/2010

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Cougarfan87
I was curious how everyone comes out on this question. I think Jake has shown us enough that he should be the presumed starter in the Spring. That isn't to say that someone may not show they are better, but at this point, I think it is going to be hard to unseat him, even if we lose badly to Utah and/or lose in a bowl game.
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Schmoe
It's his job to lose, but he still needs to compete for it. If you don't make players compete for their spot every year and between every game, they get lazy.
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frdbtr
I think Bronco has full plans to open the QB competition in the spring. I don't see anyone on the roster that is going to be able to beat him out though. I would expect that he be named the starter coming out of spring practice.
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Brayden Green
I think that it should be open, fair competition. Last year, at the start of competition it was open and fair, and Jake beat Riley out hands down. It wasn't even close. Then all of the sudden we hear reports that coaches are unsure of who to start because injured arm Nelson has a lot of "grit and determination," and the last week and a half Riley starts going exclusively against the 3's and puts up good numbers (against guys that don't even travel with the team). Then almost all of fall camp had Jake against the one's and two's and Riley against the 3's.



So I think that Jake, like last year will have earned the job by performance. I don't think he should be the favorite, I think he should win it on the field. I want the BEST BYU qb under center next year, against a tough 3 opener games. Riley was the "favorite" last year, because of man crushes, and not so much on field performance. So I welcome a fair and accurate competition, and I don't think that is anything that Heaps would shy away from. He certainly didn't as a true freshman. I can't think of anything that would be different next year, except it won't be as stacked against him, and some of the Seniors that caused major Senior/Freshman rifts will be gone.
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Guest
He's the presumed starter in my book. But I say every year you take a day or two or week at the start of spring ball and have that open competition. He keeps playing like this and he'll have no problem showing that he's the guy with a little competition.
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Cougarfan87
hawkwing wrote:
He's the presumed starter in my book. But I say every year you take a day or two or week at the start of spring ball and have that open competition. He keeps playing like this and he'll have no problem showing that he's the guy with a little competition.


That's the way I look at it too. He is the presumed starter. That's not to say he could not be unseated if he came in with a lazy attitude and just totally screwed around. But I don't think that will happen. Furthermore, I don't think the coaches expect anyone else to surpass him either. So while there may be an open competition, they fully expect Heaps to win it. Anyone trying to supplant him will have to overcome that expectation by outperforming him. Hence, the presumed starter status, rather than the named starter.
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Guest
Cougarfan87 wrote:
He's the presumed starter in my book. But I say every year you take a day or two or week at the start of spring ball and have that open competition. He keeps playing like this and he'll have no problem showing that he's the guy with a little competition.


That's the way I look at it too. He is the presumed starter. That's not to say he could not be unseated if he came in with a lazy attitude and just totally screwed around. But I don't think that will happen. Furthermore, I don't think the coaches expect anyone else to surpass him either. So while there may be an open competition, they fully expect Heaps to win it. Anyone trying to supplant him will have to overcome that expectation by outperforming him. Hence, the presumed starter status, rather than the named starter.


You have exactly spelled out my beliefs as well. I truly believe this is how Bronco sees it as well.
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jonnylingo
Competition is ALWAYS good, but not if you are splitting the reps unreasonably. Heaps has earned the right to be the presumed starter. He is also still young. He should start off with the lion share of the reps.



I don't care if there is compeition as longa s coaches make timely decisions and get the starters prepared. i think the real competition should be for number two.



Give jake majority of the snaps, then split the rest between lark and munns for the number two position.



i say nelson nelson always sees time on the field with certain packages for certain circumstances. Jake as primary quarterback. The real competition should be between jake and munns for the number two spot.



this structure also keeps everybody happy, except the loser out of lark or munns. nelson is used, but not competing for a qb starting spot and munns or lark will be ready to step in if something happens to jake.
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crh55
This is a good question, because i worry that a loss against Utah could shake the coaches confidence in him a little bit.



But i do think that the coaches have learned from their faulty decision making earlier on this season. Even if they open up competition, Heaps will be the guy getting all the reps come next fall camp.



They need to make Riley a strong safety and use him as supplement to the normal offense, like Utah did with Eric Weddle.
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QuarterbackU
Bottom line: I don't want Riley taking running opportunities away from JJ, Quezada or Kariya. Hate that idea especially as we return our entire line next year. No one should be able to stop our running game next year. We don't need to take the ball out of Jake's hands either.



Riley needs to transfer to Nevada or become a safety as mentioned above. He's a heck of an athlete for some other program.



If Bronco opens up the QB position to a competition next year it will be once again, a big mistake.
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Schmoe
QuarterbackU wrote:



If Bronco opens up the QB position to a competition next year it will be once again, a big mistake.


Only if it lasts past spring ball. Otherwise, it will be good for the QBs to push each other and earn a spot just like players do at every other position in every sport on earth.
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SpiffCoug
I think it's safe to assume that Jake will be the starter. I think it's safe to assume that Riley Nelson will see some plays with some sort of wild-cougar formation. I don't think Riley should see more than a couple, few plays a game.



If the Jake we have seen the last two weeks, is the Jake we'll see the majority of his remaining career (a PER around 160 or better), then there is no real reason to give Riley more than a couple, few snaps a game. Jake's last two games showed more command and productivity than we ever saw from Riley, other than a few scrimmages.
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Mars


"[Jake Heaps] certainly should think he's 'the man,' and he certainly should go into spring or next season with that mantle because of what he has a chance to do for the remainder of this season...



I also know that we have another excellent leader and an excellent quarterback in Riley Nelson, and so all this is doing is giving Jake every single opportunity to make sure that he can reach his goals and potential as a starting quarterback. He will have to be beat out, but I think Riley will do everything he can to help this team, and I'm not willing to rule him out."



~Bronco Mendenhall



http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700082276/BYU-has-worked-hard-to-get-back-to-500-mark.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;





:sulk: Hmmm... :skeptic:
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frdbtr
Mars wrote:


"[Jake Heaps] certainly should think he's 'the man,' and he certainly should go into spring or next season with that mantle because of what he has a chance to do for the remainder of this season...



I also know that we have another excellent leader and an excellent quarterback in Riley Nelson, and so all this is doing is giving Jake every single opportunity to make sure that he can reach his goals and potential as a starting quarterback. He will have to be beat out, but I think Riley will do everything he can to help this team, and I'm not willing to rule him out."



~Bronco Mendenhall



http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700082276/BYU-has-worked-hard-to-get-back-to-500-mark.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;





:sulk: Hmmm... :skeptic:


So, you think that Bronco should come out in public and say "Jake Heaps is our guy and the other three QB's don't have a snowball's chance in hell of beating him out". How do you think that would affect the Moral of the 3 back ups that we have? How do you think that would affect the recruitment of future QB's? What he said is that "Jake is our guy, but if one of the other guys plays better in the spring, we will use them and I am not counting anyone out.



IMO, I like what he is saying. It tells Heaps that he is the guy, but it also tells him that if he doesn't work hard every day in practice that he can be beat out. It also tells the back up QB's that they are not out of the running and if they work hard and outplay Heaps they can be the guy. Now, if I were a Heaps worshipper, I may be irritated that the head coach would consider replacing my idol but since I am not, I like the idea.
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SpiffCoug
I do think that Heaps has/will continue to earn the bulk of reps next spring as well. By that I mean, he should be getting ~50% of the reps and let Nelson, Munns and Lark split the other half. If he continues to keep his PER around 160 the final three games, then he should get more room for error in spring ball, more benefit of the doubt.



If Nelson or Lark or Munns want to unseat him, they'll have to take advantage of every opportunity given, but they'll be given very few. Last year, Nelson benefitted from Heaps not being the presumed starter, so he had time to find his rhythm. If he wants to find his rhythm, he's going to need to do in fewer reps.



Spring ball should a time to further install the offense for Jake, not find a new starter. Now if one of those three is just lights out during the spring in limited reps, then the competition deserves closer scrutiny. But coaches should not use it a wait,wait,wait,wait for a starter to emerge session.



Of course, all of this is predicated on Heaps maintaining his current high level of play these last few games.
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Mars
frdbtr wrote:
So, you think that Bronco should come out in public and say "Jake Heaps is our guy and the other three QB's don't have a snowball's chance in hell of beating him out".

I would hope that Jake will continue to get the majority of the snaps, just like he is now, not a 50/50 thing or even worse a 25/25/25/25 thing. If another QB looks far and away better, give him a shot, but don't be overly cautious like this season and drag things out far past the time when making a decision is justified. And simply end the failed Riley Nelson experiment, don't continue on with it and repeat that mistake all over again.
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SpiffCoug
Mars wrote:
So, you think that Bronco should come out in public and say "Jake Heaps is our guy and the other three QB's don't have a snowball's chance in hell of beating him out".

I would hope that Jake will continue to get the majority of the snaps, just like he is now, not a 50/50 thing or even worse a 25/25/25/25 thing. If another QB looks far and away better, give him a shot, but don't be overly cautious like this season and drag things out far past the time when making a decision is justified. And simply end the failed Riley Nelson experiment, don't continue on with it and repeat that mistake all over again.

Took me four paragraphs to say this.



Riley can have his 3-5 play package installed and practiced. The offense the last two games has looked better than anything Riley ever produced.



I suspect that if Jake continues his current level of play, this question won't really be asked by the coaches.
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snoscythe
I'm still waiting for the lone "No" vote to come and defend that choice.
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frdbtr
Mars wrote:
So, you think that Bronco should come out in public and say "Jake Heaps is our guy and the other three QB's don't have a snowball's chance in hell of beating him out".

I would hope that Jake will continue to get the majority of the snaps, just like he is now, not a 50/50 thing or even worse a 25/25/25/25 thing. If another QB looks far and away better, give him a shot, but don't be overly cautious like this season and drag things out far past the time when making a decision is justified. And simply end the failed Riley Nelson experiment, don't continue on with it and repeat that mistake all over again.


Which is pretty much what Bronco was saying in "coach speak". He said Jake is the starter but I am not counting anyone else out. That keeps Jake and the others working hard. I don't expect anyone to beat Jake out either. Like others have said, he would have to completely fall flat on his face to lose his starting position.
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Mars
frdbtr wrote:
Which is pretty much what Bronco was saying in "coach speak". He said Jake is the starter but I am not counting anyone else out. That keeps Jake and the others working hard. I don't expect anyone to beat Jake out either. Like others have said, he would have to completely fall flat on his face to lose his starting position.

I like Lark and Munns competing mainly to be the back-up, but I still see Nelson as Courbin Louks the Second. He should be changing position long before Richard Wilson does IMO. We don't need a Bryan Kariya at QB, we need a passer, like Jake Heaps.
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