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Jake Heaps?

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Last season at Kansas, Heaps played in 11 games, starting nine, for the Jayhawks and threw for 1,414 yards with eight touchdowns and ten interceptions while completing 49 percent of his passes.

To better understand the type of quarterback Heaps is, we reached out to Kevin Flaherty, one of the writers at The Shiver, the 247Sports.com site that covers Kansas.

What are some of Heaps's strengths as a quarterback?

First and foremost, Heaps is a pocket passer. He's the type of guy that if you can provide him with a clean pocket and give him some open receivers, he can pick a defense apart with his accuracy and his anticipation. He doesn't have a howitzer for an arm, but it's strong enough to test a defense to all parts of the field and to make every throw.

What are his weaknesses?

His biggest issue is his mobility — Heaps is a statue in the pocket. Not only is he a player that you don't have the option of a quarterback run game with, but he lacks feel in scramble situations and even when it appears that there's a potential opening for him to scramble for a first down, he's often cut down for a loss or little gain.

Heaps was a highly rated recruit out of high school. What, in your opinion, has held him back from fulfilling the promise he showed?

I can't speak to what happened at BYU, except that I was actually covering Texas at the time, and BYU came into Austin. Heaps got off to a hot start and led the Cougars to a quick lead over the Longhorns. Texas came back to win late in the fourth quarter, but Heaps looked like a pretty promising player. Then, later in the year I read that he had been replaced at the quarterback position.

At Kansas, Heaps just lacked the supporting cast. He had an excellent running back, but inconsistency at both wide receiver — Kansas might have led the country in dropped passes a year ago, and if not, the Jayhawks were certainly in that discussion — and along the offensive line severely hurt him. Of course, the offensive line's issues were only multiplied by Heaps's lack of escapability.

I read that Heaps was sacked 23 times last season at Kansas. Was that a product of him holding the ball too long or poor play by the offensive line?

A little of both, though you could also perhaps blame the receivers for not getting open. Generally speaking, when Kansas had open receivers, Heaps found them when he had time. Other times, there were no openings (and he took sacks) or he had no time (and he took sacks). To be fair to the other players though, there were also times when Heaps took sacks that a mobile quarterback would have been able to escape.

What type of system does Kansas run with their offense and do you feel it suited Heaps?

Last season, Kansas ran kind of a multiple pro system, where the Jayhawks would have some two tight end sets, some shotgun four-wide and just about everything in-between. I think the system did fit him fairly well.

The bigger issue for Heaps was that Kansas brought in a new offensive coordinator, John Reagan, after the season. Reagan was a coach under former Kansas boss Mark Mangino, and he runs a version of the spread that is aided greatly by a quarterback who can run … obviously not Heaps's skill set. Yet, Heaps started the spring game as the quarterback for the No. 1s. He was out-played in the game by a more mobile option in Montell Cozart, who had a 60-yard run. Cozart was named the starter for the 2014 season shortly afterward.

Heaps is a talented player and a good leader, a great guy to have in any program. And if Miami can protect him and the receivers can give him some openings, people might be surprised at the numbers he's capable of putting up.

http://miami.247sports.com/Article/A-Look-At-New-UM-QB-Jake-Heaps-29159446
 
I'm not against this move as I feel it's worth a shot. With that said, with the way this coaching staff loves their senior players, I wonder if they were here for the early 2000's, would a guy like Dorsey have seen the field as early as he did under this staff. Obviously looking at history we know what he accomplished, but I wonder if this staff wold hve had the foresight to make the right move and play him. I feel like this staff is ultra conservative (obviously talent has played a role), but I think with elite talent, they would still be conservative.
 
poncho0091 said:
I'm not against this move as I feel it's worth a shot. With that said, with the way this coaching staff loves their senior players, I wonder if they were here for the early 2000's, would a guy like Dorsey have seen the field as early as he did under this staff. Obviously looking at history we know what he accomplished, but I wonder if this staff wold hve had the foresight to make the right move and play him. I feel like this staff is ultra conservative (obviously talent has played a role), but I think with elite talent, they would still be conservative.
Click to expand...
Well, Dorsey got his shot as a freshman because Kenny Kelly got hurt. What else was on the roster? Dorsey played great in the last 3 games of 1999. But, without Kelly's injury, Dorsey doesn't sniff the field in 99. Who knows how it would have worked out if that had been the case? There is no reason to think these coaches would have handled it differently. What were the options after Kelly went down? Zack Hart?
 
Dingaan1828 said:
poncho0091 said:
I'm not against this move as I feel it's worth a shot. With that said, with the way this coaching staff loves their senior players, I wonder if they were here for the early 2000's, would a guy like Dorsey have seen the field as early as he did under this staff. Obviously looking at history we know what he accomplished, but I wonder if this staff wold hve had the foresight to make the right move and play him. I feel like this staff is ultra conservative (obviously talent has played a role), but I think with elite talent, they would still be conservative.
Click to expand...
Well, Dorsey got his shot as a freshman because Kenny Kelly got hurt. What else was on the roster? Dorsey played great in the last 3 games of 1999. But, without Kelly's injury, Dorsey doesn't sniff the field in 99. Who knows how it would have worked out if that had been the case? There is no reason to think these coaches would have handled it differently. What were the options after Kelly went down? Zack Hart?
Click to expand...

Fair enough, it just made me think of it with how much people here state they believe Golden leans too much towards senior players with goes hand in hand with the conservative play style they seem to follow (again talent requires it up to a point). I guess then lets throw a hypothetical out there. Would you play Heaps over Dorsey if Heaps was on that team and we didn't know anything about Dorsey yet? Then consider how this coaching staff would handle it. This is not a mope or negative thought. It's a simple question that makes me wonder what others are thinking.
 
motorcitycane said:
Last season at Kansas, Heaps played in 11 games, starting nine, for the Jayhawks and threw for 1,414 yards with eight touchdowns and ten interceptions while completing 49 percent of his passes.

To better understand the type of quarterback Heaps is, we reached out to Kevin Flaherty, one of the writers at The Shiver, the 247Sports.com site that covers Kansas.

What are some of Heaps's strengths as a quarterback?

First and foremost, Heaps is a pocket passer. He's the type of guy that if you can provide him with a clean pocket and give him some open receivers, he can pick a defense apart with his accuracy and his anticipation. He doesn't have a howitzer for an arm, but it's strong enough to test a defense to all parts of the field and to make every throw.

What are his weaknesses?

His biggest issue is his mobility — Heaps is a statue in the pocket. Not only is he a player that you don't have the option of a quarterback run game with, but he lacks feel in scramble situations and even when it appears that there's a potential opening for him to scramble for a first down, he's often cut down for a loss or little gain.

Heaps was a highly rated recruit out of high school. What, in your opinion, has held him back from fulfilling the promise he showed?

I can't speak to what happened at BYU, except that I was actually covering Texas at the time, and BYU came into Austin. Heaps got off to a hot start and led the Cougars to a quick lead over the Longhorns. Texas came back to win late in the fourth quarter, but Heaps looked like a pretty promising player. Then, later in the year I read that he had been replaced at the quarterback position.

At Kansas, Heaps just lacked the supporting cast. He had an excellent running back, but inconsistency at both wide receiver — Kansas might have led the country in dropped passes a year ago, and if not, the Jayhawks were certainly in that discussion — and along the offensive line severely hurt him. Of course, the offensive line's issues were only multiplied by Heaps's lack of escapability.

I read that Heaps was sacked 23 times last season at Kansas. Was that a product of him holding the ball too long or poor play by the offensive line?

A little of both, though you could also perhaps blame the receivers for not getting open. Generally speaking, when Kansas had open receivers, Heaps found them when he had time. Other times, there were no openings (and he took sacks) or he had no time (and he took sacks). To be fair to the other players though, there were also times when Heaps took sacks that a mobile quarterback would have been able to escape.

What type of system does Kansas run with their offense and do you feel it suited Heaps?

Last season, Kansas ran kind of a multiple pro system, where the Jayhawks would have some two tight end sets, some shotgun four-wide and just about everything in-between. I think the system did fit him fairly well.

The bigger issue for Heaps was that Kansas brought in a new offensive coordinator, John Reagan, after the season. Reagan was a coach under former Kansas boss Mark Mangino, and he runs a version of the spread that is aided greatly by a quarterback who can run … obviously not Heaps's skill set. Yet, Heaps started the spring game as the quarterback for the No. 1s. He was out-played in the game by a more mobile option in Montell Cozart, who had a 60-yard run. Cozart was named the starter for the 2014 season shortly afterward.

Heaps is a talented player and a good leader, a great guy to have in any program. And if Miami can protect him and the receivers can give him some openings, people might be surprised at the numbers he's capable of putting up.

http://miami.247sports.com/Article/A-Look-At-New-UM-QB-Jake-Heaps-29159446
Click to expand...

Actually sounds very promising. good things to hear. sounds like the guy was dead honest too. Im not too worried about him taking sacks. Tom Brady and Peyton Manning take sacks when they have too and learn to play another down. if he can read defenses and pick them apart sign me up on the Heaps bandwagon but for now. i will wait until fall camp. I still think Kayaa run away with starting job.
 
poncho0091 said:
Dingaan1828 said:
poncho0091 said:
I'm not against this move as I feel it's worth a shot. With that said, with the way this coaching staff loves their senior players, I wonder if they were here for the early 2000's, would a guy like Dorsey have seen the field as early as he did under this staff. Obviously looking at history we know what he accomplished, but I wonder if this staff wold hve had the foresight to make the right move and play him. I feel like this staff is ultra conservative (obviously talent has played a role), but I think with elite talent, they would still be conservative.
Click to expand...
Well, Dorsey got his shot as a freshman because Kenny Kelly got hurt. What else was on the roster? Dorsey played great in the last 3 games of 1999. But, without Kelly's injury, Dorsey doesn't sniff the field in 99. Who knows how it would have worked out if that had been the case? There is no reason to think these coaches would have handled it differently. What were the options after Kelly went down? Zack Hart?
Click to expand...

Fair enough, it just made me think of it with how much people here state they believe Golden leans too much towards senior players with goes hand in hand with the conservative play style they seem to follow (again talent requires it up to a point). I guess then lets throw a hypothetical out there. Would you play Heaps over Dorsey if Heaps was on that team and we didn't know anything about Dorsey yet? Then consider how this coaching staff would handle it. This is not a mope or negative thought. It's a simple question that makes me wonder what others are thinking.
Click to expand...

I don't like these hypotheticals, but Heaps plays out the 99 season over Dorsey. I think it's a no-brainer - then and now for either staff.
 
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motorcitycane said:
Last season at Kansas, Heaps played in 11 games, starting nine, for the Jayhawks and threw for 1,414 yards with eight touchdowns and ten interceptions while completing 49 percent of his passes.

To better understand the type of quarterback Heaps is, we reached out to Kevin Flaherty, one of the writers at The Shiver, the 247Sports.com site that covers Kansas.

What are some of Heaps's strengths as a quarterback?

First and foremost, Heaps is a pocket passer. He's the type of guy that if you can provide him with a clean pocket and give him some open receivers, he can pick a defense apart with his accuracy and his anticipation. He doesn't have a howitzer for an arm, but it's strong enough to test a defense to all parts of the field and to make every throw.

What are his weaknesses?

His biggest issue is his mobility — Heaps is a statue in the pocket. Not only is he a player that you don't have the option of a quarterback run game with, but he lacks feel in scramble situations and even when it appears that there's a potential opening for him to scramble for a first down, he's often cut down for a loss or little gain.

Heaps was a highly rated recruit out of high school. What, in your opinion, has held him back from fulfilling the promise he showed?

I can't speak to what happened at BYU, except that I was actually covering Texas at the time, and BYU came into Austin. Heaps got off to a hot start and led the Cougars to a quick lead over the Longhorns. Texas came back to win late in the fourth quarter, but Heaps looked like a pretty promising player. Then, later in the year I read that he had been replaced at the quarterback position.

At Kansas, Heaps just lacked the supporting cast. He had an excellent running back, but inconsistency at both wide receiver — Kansas might have led the country in dropped passes a year ago, and if not, the Jayhawks were certainly in that discussion — and along the offensive line severely hurt him. Of course, the offensive line's issues were only multiplied by Heaps's lack of escapability.

I read that Heaps was sacked 23 times last season at Kansas. Was that a product of him holding the ball too long or poor play by the offensive line?

A little of both, though you could also perhaps blame the receivers for not getting open. Generally speaking, when Kansas had open receivers, Heaps found them when he had time. Other times, there were no openings (and he took sacks) or he had no time (and he took sacks). To be fair to the other players though, there were also times when Heaps took sacks that a mobile quarterback would have been able to escape.

What type of system does Kansas run with their offense and do you feel it suited Heaps?

Last season, Kansas ran kind of a multiple pro system, where the Jayhawks would have some two tight end sets, some shotgun four-wide and just about everything in-between. I think the system did fit him fairly well.

The bigger issue for Heaps was that Kansas brought in a new offensive coordinator, John Reagan, after the season. Reagan was a coach under former Kansas boss Mark Mangino, and he runs a version of the spread that is aided greatly by a quarterback who can run … obviously not Heaps's skill set. Yet, Heaps started the spring game as the quarterback for the No. 1s. He was out-played in the game by a more mobile option in Montell Cozart, who had a 60-yard run. Cozart was named the starter for the 2014 season shortly afterward.

Heaps is a talented player and a good leader, a great guy to have in any program. And if Miami can protect him and the receivers can give him some openings, people might be surprised at the numbers he's capable of putting up.

http://miami.247sports.com/Article/A-Look-At-New-UM-QB-Jake-Heaps-29159446
Click to expand...

Well, then, as I said....this is about as close of a Ryan Williams situation as the coaches could find. Williams likely has slightly better feet and Heaps likely has a slightly better arm, but in either case, our OL better come to work every single game in pass protection or our stellar wide out core will look pedestrian while defenses tee off on Duke and whatever "statue" we put back there. I'm hopeful Olsen shows up big in Fall.

The dream of having a Kaaya who can bail out poor protections up front with his legs and make defenses pay with arm when he has protection will likely have to wait unless he just blows up and cannot be sidelined.

UM
 
Kansas Spring Game[video=youtube;JfbXAa3VdaM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfbXAa3VdaM[/video]

Summary from Matt Porter

This much is clear: Jake Heaps upgraded his situation.

Heaps was a member of a Kansas program which won just four games in the last two years. He redshirted in 2012, when KU went 1-11 in Charlie Weis‘ first season. He was a sometimes-starting quarterback for the 3-9 Jayhawks of 2013.

Dissatisfied, he left Kansas and signed with the Hurricanes, making it official Sunday. Click here for the full story on Heaps’ transfer and what it means to Miami.

This is the third program for Heaps, who began his college career at Brigham Young. He was a success there, setting freshman records for passing yards, touchdowns and wins, but later fell out of favor. He moved on to Kansas, where the same thing happened — minus the initial success.

So what are the Hurricanes getting in Heaps? We looked at one of his game tapes to dig a little deeper.

Jake Heaps had good moments and bad in last year's loss to Kansas State. We break down the film below.

Jake Heaps had good moments and bad in last year’s loss to Kansas State. We break down the film below.

Heaps, who was Rivals.com’s No. 1 pro-style quarterback as a high school senior, is said to have a strong arm. The film shows that. Kansas’ record would lead one to believe they weren’t very good. The film shows that as well.

Based on his pedigree, Heaps profiles as someone who can compete for a starting job at a power-conference program. On film, he shows plenty of shaky moments, but he also didn’t have a lot around him in Lawrence. Kansas finished 119th of 125 FBS teams in passing yards and total yards and 120th in scoring offense. That wasn’t all on Heaps.

He completed 49 percent of his passes for 1,414 yards (5.4 yards per attempt), but as the film breakdown shows, his receivers dropped more than a few balls. He also didn’t have the benefit of a quality running game (78th nationally) or defense (97th).

The best-case scenario for UM: Heaps regains the form he showed late in his freshman season of 2010. Over his final five games — including a 52-24 win over UTEP in the New Mexico Bowl, in which he was named MVP — Heaps averaged a gaudy per-game stat line: 252 yards, 2.6 touchdowns and 0.4 interceptions on 65 percent passing, for a passer rating of 165.81.

He was doing that under BYU offensive coordinator Robert Anae, whose resume includes stints as an assistant coach of high-powered offenses at Arizona and Texas Tech. If UM offensive coordinator James Coley can get the most out of Heaps, UM’s playmakers — most importantly, receiver Stacy Coley and running back Duke Johnson – will be happy.

Kansas and Weis couldn’t get much out of Heaps. Here’s some visual evidence:

The game: at home, Nov. 30, 2013 against rival Kansas State. Kansas commits a season-high six turnovers in a 31-10 loss. It was Heaps’ last regular-season game as a Jayhawk.

The situation: Dual-threat freshman Montell Cozart starts, but Weis pulls him in the first quarter. Down 14-0, Weis turns to Heaps’ big arm to try and get back in the ballgame.

The run wasn’t working much, anyway. The Jayhawks gained just 72 in this game (1.38 yards per carry).

After throwing three interceptions — including a back-breaker early in the fourth quarter down 28-10 — Heaps was replaced by Corzart. He finished with 138 yards and a touchdown, completing 14-of-29 passes.

The highlights/lowlights

Each (WATCH) link takes you to a YouTube video cued up to the play described. Ctrl+ or Apple+click each (WATCH) link to open up the video in a new tab. Note: for best results, read this blog post on a desktop.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE ENTIRE GAME

* Heaps gets off to a bad start. His receiver drops a pass over the middle, then he commits a head-scratching intentional grounding penalty. (WATCH)

* On fourth-and-2 from the 11 late in the second quarter, Heaps sells a play-action fake and finds his tight end for a touchdown. (WATCH)

* On second-and-11 from the K-State 30, Heaps threads the needle in traffic. Strong throw. (WATCH)

* I’ll say it again: Heaps doesn’t get much help. (WATCH)

* Announcers saying nice things about Heaps. (WATCH)

* This is a catch Stacy Coley probably makes. (WATCH)

* This is a catch Clive Walford probably makes. (WATCH)

* An interception that was completely Heaps’ fault. He looks at his receiver the whole way and underthrows him. (WATCH)

* No separation by his receiver on this long ball up the sideline, but Heaps misses inside. (WATCH)

* On this interception, Heaps had his shaky-handed tight end open, but forces a ball into coverage. (WATCH)

Update: The Kansas football beat writer for the Lawrence Journal-World, Matt Tait, offered his thoughts on Heaps’ transfer. He called him a solid citizen who might be entering a good situation in Miami. Click here to read more.

Also, we dug up a little video of Heaps from Kansas’ recent spring game. The Jayhawks installed a spread offense this spring, which is different than then pro-style system Heaps ran in 2013 (and not necessarily the best fit for his skill set).

Heaps starts for the blue (veteran) team, and goes three-and-out (WATCH). He is pulled for Montell Cozart, who appears much more comfortable with the new offense.

Heaps’ second series, late in the second quarter, is rocky. He throws one pass and takes a sack (unlike many spring games, KU took the ‘no-contact’ jerseys off its quarterbacks for this spring game). Another punt. (WATCH).

In his third series, late in the third quarter, Heaps takes a rough sack but completes his first two passes of the game. The drive ends in a rushing touchdown. (WATCH)

With 58 seconds left, Heaps is back on to close out the spring game. He throws a nice lead block on a successful reverse, hands off once for no gain, and throws a strong ball downfield which falls incomplete. As time runs out, he rifles a back-shoulder throw to receiver Justin McCay. (WATCH)

Heaps finished 3-of-9 for 41 yards. Cozart, meanwhile, rushed for a pair of touchdowns and 70 yards on seven carries, and went 6-for-10 passing for 58 yards. For Heaps, the writing was on the wall.

Do either of these film sessions tell the whole story of Heaps, specifically why he failed to live up to the hype bestowed on him in 2010? Absolutely not. Do they clearly show he can be a contributor at UM? No.

Do they satisfy a little of the curiosity in this void of time before we actually get to see real football (10 weeks until opening night…)? I hope so.

Just for fun …
 
Consigliere said:
Crow wasn't the immediate backup before Williams went down. He won't be the immediate backup after Kaaya and Heaps enrolls either. Crow will, at best, be third string. The only reason he was third string in 2013 was because we had 3 QBs on scholarship.

We don't need 6 scholarship being used for QB in 2014 (Williams, Heaps, Kaaya, Olsen, Rosier and Crow) so please send one packing. My guess would send home the weakest link who has been here the longest.

There is nothing unethical about this move; it just people getting upset about a QB that will never be better than 3rd String on the Depth Chart.

Speaking of ethics, how about those sanctions?
Click to expand...
There are a couple of scenarios where Crow could have been the de facto back up and an injury away from meaningful playing time:

A) Kaaya wins the job and Olsen decides to transfer. Given some of the reports we've heard about Olsen's attitude, this doesn't seem like a huge stretch to me.
B) Olsen wins the job and the staff decides to redshirt Kaaya to create separation between he and Olsen. Now in this scenario it's very possible that they burn Kaaya's redshirt if Olsen gets injured, but still, depending on the situation it could have forced Crow into at least one game (or multiple games if the injury is later in the season).

The bottom line is that this program is better with Heaps on the roster than Crow. I have no problem with it. And if Heaps wins the starting job, so be it, as long as it is based on merit and not "seniority".
 
motorcitycane said:
Last season at Kansas, Heaps played in 11 games, starting nine, for the Jayhawks and threw for 1,414 yards with eight touchdowns and ten interceptions while completing 49 percent of his passes.

To better understand the type of quarterback Heaps is, we reached out to Kevin Flaherty, one of the writers at The Shiver, the 247Sports.com site that covers Kansas.

What are some of Heaps's strengths as a quarterback?

First and foremost, Heaps is a pocket passer. He's the type of guy that if you can provide him with a clean pocket and give him some open receivers, he can pick a defense apart with his accuracy and his anticipation. He doesn't have a howitzer for an arm, but it's strong enough to test a defense to all parts of the field and to make every throw.

What are his weaknesses?

His biggest issue is his mobility — Heaps is a statue in the pocket. Not only is he a player that you don't have the option of a quarterback run game with, but he lacks feel in scramble situations and even when it appears that there's a potential opening for him to scramble for a first down, he's often cut down for a loss or little gain.

Heaps was a highly rated recruit out of high school. What, in your opinion, has held him back from fulfilling the promise he showed?

I can't speak to what happened at BYU, except that I was actually covering Texas at the time, and BYU came into Austin. Heaps got off to a hot start and led the Cougars to a quick lead over the Longhorns. Texas came back to win late in the fourth quarter, but Heaps looked like a pretty promising player. Then, later in the year I read that he had been replaced at the quarterback position.

At Kansas, Heaps just lacked the supporting cast. He had an excellent running back, but inconsistency at both wide receiver — Kansas might have led the country in dropped passes a year ago, and if not, the Jayhawks were certainly in that discussion — and along the offensive line severely hurt him. Of course, the offensive line's issues were only multiplied by Heaps's lack of escapability.

I read that Heaps was sacked 23 times last season at Kansas. Was that a product of him holding the ball too long or poor play by the offensive line?

A little of both, though you could also perhaps blame the receivers for not getting open. Generally speaking, when Kansas had open receivers, Heaps found them when he had time. Other times, there were no openings (and he took sacks) or he had no time (and he took sacks). To be fair to the other players though, there were also times when Heaps took sacks that a mobile quarterback would have been able to escape.

What type of system does Kansas run with their offense and do you feel it suited Heaps?

Last season, Kansas ran kind of a multiple pro system, where the Jayhawks would have some two tight end sets, some shotgun four-wide and just about everything in-between. I think the system did fit him fairly well.

The bigger issue for Heaps was that Kansas brought in a new offensive coordinator, John Reagan, after the season. Reagan was a coach under former Kansas boss Mark Mangino, and he runs a version of the spread that is aided greatly by a quarterback who can run … obviously not Heaps's skill set. Yet, Heaps started the spring game as the quarterback for the No. 1s. He was out-played in the game by a more mobile option in Montell Cozart, who had a 60-yard run. Cozart was named the starter for the 2014 season shortly afterward.

Heaps is a talented player and a good leader, a great guy to have in any program. And if Miami can protect him and the receivers can give him some openings, people might be surprised at the numbers he's capable of putting up.

http://miami.247sports.com/Article/A-Look-At-New-UM-QB-Jake-Heaps-29159446
Click to expand...


If this assessment is accurate, he's a huge upgrade over either freshman.
 
drifters1234 said:
motorcitycane said:
Last season at Kansas, Heaps played in 11 games, starting nine, for the Jayhawks and threw for 1,414 yards with eight touchdowns and ten interceptions while completing 49 percent of his passes.

To better understand the type of quarterback Heaps is, we reached out to Kevin Flaherty, one of the writers at The Shiver, the 247Sports.com site that covers Kansas.

What are some of Heaps's strengths as a quarterback?

First and foremost, Heaps is a pocket passer. He's the type of guy that if you can provide him with a clean pocket and give him some open receivers, he can pick a defense apart with his accuracy and his anticipation. He doesn't have a howitzer for an arm, but it's strong enough to test a defense to all parts of the field and to make every throw.

What are his weaknesses?

His biggest issue is his mobility — Heaps is a statue in the pocket. Not only is he a player that you don't have the option of a quarterback run game with, but he lacks feel in scramble situations and even when it appears that there's a potential opening for him to scramble for a first down, he's often cut down for a loss or little gain.

Heaps was a highly rated recruit out of high school. What, in your opinion, has held him back from fulfilling the promise he showed?

I can't speak to what happened at BYU, except that I was actually covering Texas at the time, and BYU came into Austin. Heaps got off to a hot start and led the Cougars to a quick lead over the Longhorns. Texas came back to win late in the fourth quarter, but Heaps looked like a pretty promising player. Then, later in the year I read that he had been replaced at the quarterback position.

At Kansas, Heaps just lacked the supporting cast. He had an excellent running back, but inconsistency at both wide receiver — Kansas might have led the country in dropped passes a year ago, and if not, the Jayhawks were certainly in that discussion — and along the offensive line severely hurt him. Of course, the offensive line's issues were only multiplied by Heaps's lack of escapability.

I read that Heaps was sacked 23 times last season at Kansas. Was that a product of him holding the ball too long or poor play by the offensive line?

A little of both, though you could also perhaps blame the receivers for not getting open. Generally speaking, when Kansas had open receivers, Heaps found them when he had time. Other times, there were no openings (and he took sacks) or he had no time (and he took sacks). To be fair to the other players though, there were also times when Heaps took sacks that a mobile quarterback would have been able to escape.

What type of system does Kansas run with their offense and do you feel it suited Heaps?

Last season, Kansas ran kind of a multiple pro system, where the Jayhawks would have some two tight end sets, some shotgun four-wide and just about everything in-between. I think the system did fit him fairly well.

The bigger issue for Heaps was that Kansas brought in a new offensive coordinator, John Reagan, after the season. Reagan was a coach under former Kansas boss Mark Mangino, and he runs a version of the spread that is aided greatly by a quarterback who can run … obviously not Heaps's skill set. Yet, Heaps started the spring game as the quarterback for the No. 1s. He was out-played in the game by a more mobile option in Montell Cozart, who had a 60-yard run. Cozart was named the starter for the 2014 season shortly afterward.

Heaps is a talented player and a good leader, a great guy to have in any program. And if Miami can protect him and the receivers can give him some openings, people might be surprised at the numbers he's capable of putting up.

http://miami.247sports.com/Article/A-Look-At-New-UM-QB-Jake-Heaps-29159446
Click to expand...


If this assessment is accurate, he's a huge upgrade over either freshman.
Click to expand...

he's a huge upgrade over 2 highly talented players that you've never seen play?

HAA
 
JimmyJohnsonsHair said:
There are a couple of scenarios where Crow could have been the de facto back up and an injury away from meaningful playing time:

A) Kaaya wins the job and Olsen decides to transfer. Given some of the reports we've heard about Olsen's attitude, this doesn't seem like a huge stretch to me.
B) Olsen wins the job and the staff decides to redshirt Kaaya to create separation between he and Olsen. Now in this scenario it's very possible that they burn Kaaya's redshirt if Olsen gets injured, but still, depending on the situation it could have forced Crow into at least one game (or multiple games if the injury is later in the season).

The bottom line is that this program is better with Heaps on the roster than Crow. I have no problem with it. And if Heaps wins the starting job, so be it, as long as it is based on merit and not "seniority".
Click to expand...

My point is no one would want him that situation. No one would want Crow to play any burn in a serious situation.
 
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motorcitycane said:
Summary from Matt Porter

This much is clear: Jake Heaps upgraded his situation.


The best-case scenario for UM: Heaps regains the form he showed late in his freshman season of 2010. Over his final five games — including a 52-24 win over UTEP in the New Mexico Bowl, in which he was named MVP — Heaps averaged a gaudy per-game stat line: 252 yards, 2.6 touchdowns and 0.4 interceptions on 65 percent passing, for a passer rating of 165.81.
Click to expand...

There is so much misinformation going around these boards about Heaps.

Yes he did upgrazde his situation. However Miami downgraded theirs. By wasting a scholly on a 1 year transfer player.

Now for this pile of crap statement that has been bandied about in various forms over the last couple of days.

Look at the teams he was playing against during that AMAZING 5 game run. Brace yourselves!

UNLV
Colorado St.
New Mexico
Utah
UTEP

Bwahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!! Yeah he really showed those powerhouses who was boss didn't he?

Yep he's a great signing if we were in the MAC or the Big Sky or even the Sun Belt. This is ******* Miami for fvcks sake!!!!

JESUS ******* WEPT!!!!!!!
 
Cane Dynasty said:
motorcitycane said:
Summary from Matt Porter

This much is clear: Jake Heaps upgraded his situation.


The best-case scenario for UM: Heaps regains the form he showed late in his freshman season of 2010. Over his final five games — including a 52-24 win over UTEP in the New Mexico Bowl, in which he was named MVP — Heaps averaged a gaudy per-game stat line: 252 yards, 2.6 touchdowns and 0.4 interceptions on 65 percent passing, for a passer rating of 165.81.
Click to expand...

There is so much misinformation going around these boards about Heaps.

Yes he did upgrazde his situation. However Miami downgraded theirs. By wasting a scholly on a 1 year transfer player.

Now for this pile of crap statement that has been bandied about in various forms over the last couple of days.

Look at the teams he was playing against during that AMAZING 5 game run. Brace yourselves!

UNLV
Colorado St.
New Mexico
Utah
UTEP

Bwahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!! Yeah he really showed those powerhouses who was boss didn't he?

Yep he's a great signing if we were in the MAC or the Big Sky or even the Sun Belt. This is ******* Miami for fvcks sake!!!!

JESUS ******* WEPT!!!!!!!
Click to expand...


I'm 100 percent sure you're either Gray Crow's cousin or you have a man crush on "baby jesus."

Heaps is better than any other quarterback on Miami's roster right now.
 
Cane Dynasty said:
motorcitycane said:
Summary from Matt Porter

This much is clear: Jake Heaps upgraded his situation.


The best-case scenario for UM: Heaps regains the form he showed late in his freshman season of 2010. Over his final five games — including a 52-24 win over UTEP in the New Mexico Bowl, in which he was named MVP — Heaps averaged a gaudy per-game stat line: 252 yards, 2.6 touchdowns and 0.4 interceptions on 65 percent passing, for a passer rating of 165.81.
Click to expand...

There is so much misinformation going around these boards about Heaps.

Yes he did upgrazde his situation. However Miami downgraded theirs. By wasting a scholly on a 1 year transfer player.

Now for this pile of crap statement that has been bandied about in various forms over the last couple of days.

Look at the teams he was playing against during that AMAZING 5 game run. Brace yourselves!

UNLV
Colorado St.
New Mexico
Utah
UTEP

Bwahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!! Yeah he really showed those powerhouses who was boss didn't he?

Yep he's a great signing if we were in the MAC or the Big Sky or even the Sun Belt. This is ******* Miami for fvcks sake!!!!

JESUS ******* WEPT!!!!!!!
Click to expand...


Also, if Heaps' opponents were so unimpressive, please tell us which Division 1 powerhouses Kevin Olsen or Brad Kaaya have had impressive 5 game runs against.

I'll hang up and listen...
 
OldManCane said:
Cane Dynasty said:
motorcitycane said:
Summary from Matt Porter

This much is clear: Jake Heaps upgraded his situation.


The best-case scenario for UM: Heaps regains the form he showed late in his freshman season of 2010. Over his final five games — including a 52-24 win over UTEP in the New Mexico Bowl, in which he was named MVP — Heaps averaged a gaudy per-game stat line: 252 yards, 2.6 touchdowns and 0.4 interceptions on 65 percent passing, for a passer rating of 165.81.
Click to expand...

There is so much misinformation going around these boards about Heaps.

Yes he did upgrazde his situation. However Miami downgraded theirs. By wasting a scholly on a 1 year transfer player.

Now for this pile of crap statement that has been bandied about in various forms over the last couple of days.

Look at the teams he was playing against during that AMAZING 5 game run. Brace yourselves!

UNLV
Colorado St.
New Mexico
Utah
UTEP

Bwahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!! Yeah he really showed those powerhouses who was boss didn't he?

Yep he's a great signing if we were in the MAC or the Big Sky or even the Sun Belt. This is ******* Miami for fvcks sake!!!!

JESUS ******* WEPT!!!!!!!
Click to expand...


I'm 100 percent sure you're either Gray Crow's cousin or you have a man crush on "baby jesus."

Heaps is more experienced than any other quarterback on Miami's roster right now.
Click to expand...

FIFY
 
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