As last season wound to a close, I penned an article for Bleacher Report building a case for Kevin Olsen to take over as Miami’s quarterback this fall.
Olson was part of the Hurricanes’ 2013 recruiting class, a highly-touted 4-star prospect and the 12th-ranked pro-style quarterback in the nation coming out of high school.
A caveat in the article alluded to Olsen beating out senior Ryan Williams in the spring, while explaining that a one-year starter isn’t as desirable as taking some lumps with a long-term option and getting some stability under center for years to come.
At the time, it seemed like the best-case narrative for Miami’s season. Since then, a handful of things took place, leaving the Hurricanes no clear-cut choice under center entering fall practice.
Olsen didn’t do enough to fully separate himself from the pack, Williams won the job but tore an ACL during spring and true freshman Brad Kaaya and Malik Rosier both rolled onto campus, understandably green and in no way ready to take the reigns a few months into their collegiate careers. Miami also moved third-stringer Gray Crow to h-back.
A funny thing happened along the way, though—the college football equivalent of a “journeyman” showed up on the scene in the form of Jake Heaps—an ideal one-year option while the Miami gunslingers of tomorrow cut their teeth this fall.
Heaps is that legitimate x-factor and based on his pedigree—as well as Olsen’s inability to rise up, coupled with Williams’ injury—negates any previous argument regarding one-year options and short-term gains.
Unlike Williams, who came to Miami from Memphis, sat out the 2011 season, played sparingly the past two seasons and will hobble into fall, working to get back into playing shape—Heaps has a deeper resume, age and experience all working in his favor.
The number one quarterback in the nation and top-ranked pro-style quarterback, the Washington-bred Heaps began his career at BYU in 2010. He saw action in all 14 games, splitting duties with Riley Nelson.
Nelson sustained an injury against Florida State, Heaps took over full-time and went on to set a freshman touchdown record (15) set by Ty Detmer three decades back.
Heaps lost some ground to Nelson midseason as sophomore, giving up the role of starter, but thrust back into action a month later when Nelson broke a hip. By season’s end, the Cougars decided on Nelson and Heaps moved on, transferring to the University of Kansas.
Heaps sat out the 2012 season and the Jayhawks had a disastrous 2013 run, going 3-9 under Charlie Weis—who named sophomore Michael Cozart starter this spring, forcing another move by the senior-to-be.
With one season remaining, who is Heaps? A talented former 5-star prospect with tremendous upside who simply hasn’t found a groove—or another overhyped product that simply isn’t as good as originally advertised? Miami will find out this fall.
Heaps participated in a teleconference Monday afternoon and like many before him absolutely said all the right things. Now comes the hard part—delivering and getting the job done.
With only one final chance to shine, Heaps stated that “it’s absolutely vital” that he wins the starting job this fall.
“For me I made this decision for a reason. I didn’t come here to be the backup. I came here to play, but you have to come and earn that. No one is going to give that to you and that’s what I knew coming into this situation and that’s what I wanted wanted,” said Heaps.
“I’m very excited for this opportunity. This is my last year. I’ve given everything I have at this thing and it’s extremely important for me to perform well and do well—not only to win the job, but of my goals and aspirations down the line, as well.”
Under different circumstances that could come across as waxing poetic. Heaps is hardly the first or last one-year option talking about the clock ticking, back against the wall and a final chance at redemption.
Where it could potentially ring true in this case is three-fold—talent, age and life circumstances.
Heaps is also 23, married and is on pace to spend the next year living more like an NFL rookie than a college freshman. Fail at Miami and the dream dies. Hang up the cleats, get a day-job and start providing for the family that he and his wife will start building.
A five-year swing isn’t much late in life, but comparing 18 and 23—the two are a lifetime apart. Heaps mentioned in his presser that he’d play every down like it’s his last and something about that absolutely feels authentic in this situation.
Maturity isn’t manufactured. One has to live-through and experience some harsh lessons for an authentic transformation to take place. Some folks also learn faster than others, having to endure less along the way.
Soon after my Olsen-themed piece for B/R, the redshirt freshman was suspended for the Russell Athletic Bowl, along with two other players. Since then, Miami coaches have praised the redshirt sophomore’s efforts.
Head coach Al Golden questioned Olsen’s “process” in the past, but offensive coordinator James Coley saw more effort this spring—better communication with coaches, studying more film and a maturity that has been noticed by both teammates and the staff.
“I would start off by saying there’s more urgency with wanting to know more things,” Coley told the Sun-Sentinel’s Christy Cabrera Chirinos last March.
“I think sometimes quarterbacks come in and they want you to think they know things, so they don’t ask. As he became comfortable with us and me, I think he understood that him asking doesn’t mean that he’s not smart or anything like that. He wants to know and that’s where our relationship is at.”
Golden picked up from there, adding, “He’s really doing all the little things that you need a quarterback to do and it’s showing on the field … He has to continue to raise his confidence level and continue to lead, but that’s going to come the more comfortable he is with the offense.”
How comfortable will Olsen be come fall? Is there enough maturity and desire to pull away from two true freshman and two senior transfers? How will he react to more competition? A potential great will rise to the occasion while a lesser competitor will crumble.
What about Williams, seemingly the starter pre-injury and before Heaps arrived on the scene?
Two years in the system can the former Miramar High 2-star prospect bounce back from an ACL tear and prove he’s more than a game manager? To date, Williams has been used sparingly. Mostly mop-up duty last fall, while his one opportunity to have an impact slipped through his fingers in 2012.
Miami trailed North Carolina at home, down 18-14 with 1:47 remaining. Williams and the Hurricanes took over on their own 17-yard line, hoping to put together a game-winning drive. Some dump offs to running backs and big plays to receivers had Miami on the march.
Facing a 2nd-and-10 from the North Carolina 29-yard line, Williams took a sack. On 3rd-and-16, an incomplete pass. On fourth down, a completion well short of the sticks and a turnover on downs.
Fair or unfair, that drive remains Williams’ legacy as there hasn’t been an important career moment since.
Heaps may have taken some lumps as a starter at Kansas and lost his job at BYU, but there’s still three full years game experience which counts for something—especially for a prime time Labor Day season-opening showdown at Louisville.
Olsen, Kaaya and Rosier haven’t taken a collegiate snap to date, while Williams hasn’t started a game since November 27, 2010—losing to Central Florida as Memphis closed out an 1-11 campaign.
Which brings it all back to Miami’s latest quarterback addition and the notion that Golden and staff have to be mulling over some of these same statistics when looking at the competition.
If Hurricanes’ coaches were fully confident in their youngsters, or Williams’ ability to be in playing shape by fall, a scholarship isn’t being doled out to Heaps—a one-year option who made it clear he trekked south to be “the guy”.
Answers will solidify when fall practice kicks off next week, but when the smoke clears, a safe bet that Heaps’ experience wins out, Williams is shelved for next year (along with Rosier) and it’s Kaaya and Olsen battling it out for number two.
For now, at least. A long August awaits and an even longer season, full of blind turns and unknowns.