BYU football: Quarterback position is still up in the air

PROVO — BYU concluded spring drills Saturday afternoon at LaVell Edwards Stadium with a glorified practice that attracted about 7,200 fans.

Most of those in the crowd were focused on the quarterback race as true freshman Jake Heaps, junior Riley Nelson and sophomore James Lark each engineered drives Saturday with mixed results. When it comes to deciding on a starting QB, it's still up in the air. Nothing is expected to be settled until well into fall camp in August.

"It's going to take some time to continue to develop these guys," said quarterbacks coach Brandon Doman. "I would hope that we could go through the season with just one (starter). We've been fortunate to do it for five years. But traditionally speaking, it's about 60 percent of the time that your starter gets injured and your backup has to play. We have to get them all ready right now."

During the four-week spring practice period, Heaps completed 62 of 105 passes for 774 yards and seven touchdowns; Nelson completed 29 of 51 passes for 389 yards and five touchdowns; and Lark, who returned home from a mission in December, completed 27 of 46 passes for 253 and no touchdowns.

"I think it's becoming apparent to everyone that Jake is really a natural, poised pocket passer and makes very good decisions," said coach Bronco Mendenhall. "Riley gives you the element of mobility and the grit and leadership that comes with that. James is just a hair behind because of his mission. I like them all. I think they've all shown very well."

Doman said Heaps is "as prepared as any freshman that I've seen in recent years in college football. He has an advantage of graduating early from high school and coming to spring practice. So he's getting a lot of volume of opportunity right now. Now he's got to absorb the volume. That will be the most difficult thing for him. But I'm really pleased with where he is."

Of Nelson, Doman said: "He's a different quarterback entirely (from Heaps). He's a more mobile quarterback. Probably not as strong of a passer as Jake…You look at their two different strengths and they're quite different." Meanwhile, a few other intriguing position battles will carry over into the fall as well

For now, freshmen Mike Muehlmann and Devin Mahina are "dead-even" at the tight end spot, according to Mendenhall. Marcus Mathews, who broke his ankle during last Wednesday's practice was "emerging as the No. 3" tight end, Mendenhall said. "But you also know we have (freshmen) Bryan Sampson and Austin Holt coming as well. We're going to be really good at tight end, I believe. Youthful, but I think we'll have enough players."