BYU football: Jake Heaps leaving BYU

See a list of Jake Heap's top-10 performances here.

PROVO — BYU head coach Bronco Mendenhall announced today that sophomore quarterback Jake Heaps will transfer from BYU.

"Jake has decided to leave the program in pursuit of a fresh start for he and his young family," Mendenhall said. "Jake is a great young man with tremendous potential and someone I deeply care about. I am sorry to see him leave this wonderful institution yet anxious to follow his future development and success."

A graduate of Skyline High in Issaquah, Wash., Heaps started 16 games and played in 22 overall during his freshman and sophomore seasons at BYU the past two seasons. Heaps set BYU freshman passing records for yards, touchdowns and wins while starting the final 10 games as a true freshman in 2010. The highlight of his season came in the 2010 New Mexico Bowl where he passed for 264 yards and four touchdowns to earn offensive MVP honors in a 52-24 victory.

Heaps started the first five games in 2011 before junior Riley Nelson took over as the starting quarterback following the Utah State game. For his BYU career, Heaps completed 363 of 635 passes for 3,768 yards, 24 touchdowns and 17 interceptions.

BYU has granted Heaps a release to transfer. Heaps has not announced his intentions of where he will transfer. He will not participate in the bowl game or bowl practices and will concentrate on finishing out his schoolwork in the fall semester.

Junior quarterback James Lark will assume Heaps' backup role effective immediately. BYU will face Tulsa on Dec. 30 in the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl in Dallas.