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Doug Robinson: Jake Heaps a departure from BYU tradition of parking quarterbacks

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By Doug Robinson, Deseret News

Published: Wednesday, Nov. 24 2010 10:54 p.m. MST

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Doug Robinson

Doug Robinson

Deseret News

Summary

Brandon Doman, BYU's young quarterback coach of six years, knows the value of parking a young quarterback on the sideline for a couple of years before handing him the starting job.

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Few dispute that quarterbacks benefit from waiting years to get on the field, whether it's in college or the NFL (think: Aaron Rodgers, Matt Schaub, Kurt Warner, Steve Young), even though there are exceptions. Starting a quarterback prematurely can be detrimental to their development (there are numerous examples at the college and pro level).

So why the trend of starting quarterbacks as freshmen and sophomores?

First, high school quarterbacks are showing up on college campuses more prepared, thanks to better coaching, private tutors, camps, etc. Second, prep players are being recruited early — as juniors and sophomores, if not earlier. The best prospects have the luxury of shopping schools.

"What happens is these kids who are so heavily recruited are now looking for places they can play right away," says Doman. "And then there are recruiters who are promising them starting positions to get them to sign with their schools."

That causes other problems for any school trying to maintain an orderly ascension to the starting quarterback job. A school's existing quarterbacks tend to flee to other schools when the starting job is given to younger players. The situation is even trickier for BYU, with more quarterbacks leaving school to serve two-year missions and then returning two years later (Young, McMahon, Nielsen, Wilson and Bosco did not serve missions).

With Heaps sharing the starting job and then taking sole ownership of it with the injury to Riley Nelson, BYU's quarterback depth has been jeopardized again. Doman is holding his breath that his other three scholarship quarterbacks — sophomore James Lark, redshirt freshman Jason Munns and the junior, Nelson — remain at BYU.

"We had it mapped out well; it ended up Jake came in and made a run at the starting position," says Doman. "You have to recruit a quarterback every year that you believe can be your starter and compete against your current quarterback. You try to spread them out by age so that you don't drive them away.

"I've had four quarterbacks transfer since I've been here. If I don't lose any this off-season, it will be the first year I haven't had a quarterback transfer. It's the test of all tests for veterans to see if they stay true to coming to BYU and believe they'll eventually get an opportunity."

Like his Utah counterpart, Heaps' on-the-job training has been bumpy. He threw just one touchdown pass in the first seven games, only two of which were wins. He has thrown nine touchdown passes in the last four games — all wins – albeit against weaker conference opponents.

"We're finally starting to see a productive quarterback in Jake," says Doman. "It's taken time."

e-mail: drob@desnews.com

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Featured Comments

See all 35 comments »
hatchna
Draper, UT

Chris B again trolling BYU articles just waiting to be the first one to post.

The one who's in for the rude awakening is Wynn. You thought he looked scared last year when he was getting pummeled all over the field, wait until he comes face More..

  • 2:49 a.m. Nov. 25, 2010
  • Top comment
Y Grad / Y Dad
Richland, WA

Thanks, Chris B! Is that the stellar Utah defense we've seen the past three games?!?!?

Nobody knows how good this BYU offense really is, based on the level of competition our past three games.

What we do know is that the cougar More..

  • 7:34 a.m. Nov. 25, 2010
  • Top comment
mindgames
Aurora, CO

Hey everybody Chris B is back with the 0% predictions. I've written it down on stone tablets 2 interceptions (or more)and ten points (or less) for the freshman quarterback. With that revelation I predict a different final score.

BYU More..

  • 1:09 a.m. Nov. 25, 2010
  • Top comment
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About the Author
Doug Robinson

Doug Robinson

Doug Robinson is a general columnist, sports columnist and feature writer for the Deseret News, where he has worked since 1978. He began his career as a sports writer. "Everything I am today I blame on Lee Benson," he more ..

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