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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2013
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Junior Tony Pierson carries the ball down the field during a game against Texas Tech on Oct. 5. The Jayhawks fell to the Red Raiders 16-54. They will face the Oklahoma Sooners at home this Saturday at 2:30 p.m.
Roles have reversed for former five-star recruits
CHRIS HYBL
chvbl@kansan.com
When Scout.com ranked the 2010 class of high school quarterbacks, Jake Heaps, of Sammamish, Wash., was ranked the best available. Heaps was number one. At number four was Blake Bell; now quarterback for the Oklahoma Sooners and Heaps' opponent this weekend at Memorial Stadium. The tables have turned.
Both were five-star quarterbacks and both have experienced their share of obstacles, but Heaps is now in a spot where he didn't exactly see himself being in 2010. Blake Bell is. Now quarterbacking an offensively challenged 2-3 football squad. Heaps continues to encounter an endless course of obstacles with a team that struggles to find the red zone and it's not something he's dealt with before.
Heaps is becoming familiar with situations that he doesn't see himself in. Kansas isn't where Heaps thought it would be.
"I don't know that I've really been a part of one," Heaps said. "But it's part of the game and this is where
we're at as an offense and we know what we need to do to improve"
It's safe to say, even for Heaps, that this isn't where he saw the team at the beginning of the year.
"Not so far," Heaps said. "We thought we would be in a better situation, but we're 2-3 and that's the way you have to take it. There's a lot of football left in the season."
Next to Charlie Weis, Heaps is the best fit to turn the struggling offense around. Heaps has to deal with more red flags than yellow ones: a ball-dropping receiving crew, an unstable offensive line, and constant rotations at nearly every offensive position at running back.
If Heaps wasn't one for such big adjustments before, he has to be now.
"You just have to take it week by week," Heaps said. "You don't really look back as much. You just have to take the week as it comes and prepare the best you can."
On Tuesday, Weis detailed a "drastic" change to Kansas' of intensive proceeding that includes quarterbacks coach Ron Powlus taking control of the passing game
and tight ends coach leff Blasko to handle the running game and offensive line. Weis' rationale behind the change was so he could spend more time with "skill positions." A lot of question marks remain as to how and if this will have any effect on a stagnant Kansas offense – even Heaps himself in unsure of who he will be taking signals from come Saturday.
"That really hasn't been addressed vet," Heaps said.
It should be soon though, before an angry, 18th-ranked Oklahoma arrives in Lawrence for their nationally televised date with Kansas at home this weekend. Oklahoma is the first in a tough stretch of schedule for Kansas that includes, in order: Oklahoma, Baylor, Texas, and Oklahoma State.
"You could look at the schedule and this game like that or you can see it as an opportunity to have the 18th ranked team on your home field and the game on ESPN," Heaps said.
Edited by Jessica Mitchell
Junior quarterback Jake Heaps prepares to throw the ball during a game against Texas Tech on Oct. 5.
GEORGE MULLINIX/KANSAN
THE LANGSTON HUGHES VISITING PROFESSORSHIP COMMITTEE
OFFICE OF THE PROVOST
Invite you to
RACE, RELIGION & RITUAL
Afro-Cuban Poets in the Age of Revolution A lecture presented by
MATTHEW PETTWAY
Wednesday, October 23, 2013 @ 3:00 p.m.
all 2013 Langston Hughes Professor of French at the University Department
AS
Arder
CL saw and they
❶