Tuesday, March 2, 1999
The University Daily Kansan
Section B · Page 3
Quarterback transfer looks for starting role
By Michael T. Rigg
Kansas sportswriter
Kansan sportswriter
With the status of 1998 starting quarterback Zac Wegner in the air following the effects of three concussions, Jayhawk coach Terry Allen sifted through the junior college ranks to find the answer to his quarterback quandary.
In comes Dylen Smith, a sophomore at Santa Monica Community College who idolizes Vikings quarterback Randall Cunningham
and has signed a letter of intent to play at K a n s a s. Smith guided his team to 71 points in his
last game with Santa Monica and is the best junior college quarterback available Allen said.
Smith leaves Santa Monica as the Corsairs' all-time passing leader with 2,690 yards and earned honorable mention junior college All-American honors last season.
"Dylen is a really great athlete," Santa Monica coach Robert Taylor said.
Smith can throw the football 70 yards in the air and never missed a game or a practice in his two years with the Corsairs, which impressed scouts and coaches.
"He's elusive. He's athletic. He runs a 4.5 in the 40 yard dash, which is unreal for a quarterback," said Jon Kirby, the managing editor of MO-KAN Recruiting Magazine.
Taylor, who led Smith and the Corsairs to a victory in the California junior college championship game said that Smith was a proven winner.
"Our program will really miss him, but he'll be a great asset to Kansas."
Smith's legacy with the Corsairs was left in the final game he ever played with the team. At the South Bay Classic Bowl against the El Camino College Warriors, Smith and the Corsairs fell behind 46-17 in the third quarter.
"I honestly didn't think we could come back." Smith said.
After a couple of Smith touchdown passes and a fumble return for a touchdown, the Corsairs recovered a Warrior fumble on the EI Camino 30 yard line late in the fourth quarter trailing by two points. Smith led Santa Monica the remaining distance and scored a touchdown with two seconds left winning the game 71-67.
"It was one of the most amazing football games I've ever seen," Taylor said.
Smith connected on an amazing 38 of 51 passes for 400 yards in that game en route to leading the Corsairs to 54 second-half points in what is the highest scoring regulation game ever at the junior college level.
"You can make a highlight tape for quarterbacking out of that game." Allen said.
Recruiting guru Kirby shares Allen's high sentiments of Smith.
"In a lot of ways he reminds me of Mark Williams." Kirby said.
Williams is also a junior college transfer who ranks 10th on the Kansas career passing list and led the Jayhawks to a 10-2 record in 1995.
Smith has similar lofty goals for the 1999 version of Kansas football.
"We have a lot of good players and a lot of overall talent," Smith said. "Hopefully we'll play to play in a New Year's Day bowl game."
Before Smith can end the Jayhawks' bowl game drought, he has to come in during the summer and learn the offense by the time Kansas' first game rolls around Sept. 11. Five of the seven fellow junior college recruits are already on campus and preparing for spring practice, which starts March 30.
"It shouldn't be a problem to learn the offense," Smith said. "The offense we ran in junior college was very similar."
Wegner's status is still pending more tests on the severity of his concussion, and in his absence, Allen has opened up competition for the starting quarterback position.
"He could come in and compete for that job right now," Allen said of Smith.
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