BYU football: Cougars offer scholarship to Jordan High School sophomore-to-be quarterback

Very quietly this past spring, Jordan freshman Austin Kafentzis evolved into a javelin-throwing superman setting a new state record and recording the 22nd best throw in the country in 2012.

It's unlikely that very many people in Utah even noticed Kafentzis' throw of 199'05, but BYU football offensive coordinator Brandon Doman certainly did.

Kafentzis' willingness to even try the javelin this year, and then his commitment to excel at it, was just one of many reasons that BYU offered the Jordan sophomore quarterback a scholarship this past Wednesday.

"When we were meeting with Brandon, he said 'I like that you can read defenses' and named all these things, 'but my favorite thing is that you won state in javelin. I like that you show that you're diverse and it's not all just football," said Kafentzis.

The offer from BYU was the first of what will certainly be many more for the Maxpreps.com National Freshman of the Year.

"It was exciting, 'cause it was my first offer too. I got the first one out of the way, and now I can just play football and not worry about anything like that, just worry about progressing each week and getting better each game," said Kafentzis.

Kafentzis started every game for Jordan last season and led the Beetdiggers to the 5A semifinals before his season was cut short with a broken collar bone against Lone Peak.

Kafentzis completed 58 percent of his passes in 2011 for 3,188 yards and 23 touchdowns. He did throw 19 interceptions, but 12 of those came in the first six games as he adjusted to the rapid pace of varsity football from little league football.

He also rushed for 1,377 yards and 21 touchdowns.

Kafentzis said BYU was reluctant to offer the sophomore a scholarship for fear it would go to his head and affect his work ethic, but Kafentzis said there's no way that will happen. It's hard to argue with a player who's already demonstrated an unbelievable work ethic in both football and track and field during his freshman season.

"I'm not going to let it get to my head. I'm just going to pretend that nothing happened and play my game," said Kafentzis.

email: jedward@desnews.com