Fans Know Mangino Could Have Tough "Pick" on His Hands

No one is out to organize Kale Pick's early coronation as next year's starter, but I could've sworn that I heard a collective sigh of relief in Memorial Stadium when he completed his first pass during the fourth quarter of KU's home opener last Saturday.

Everyone from my dorm neighbors to the guys who sat behind me in church on Sunday is happy to see that maybe Pick really can be Todd Reesing's backup.

Sure, he's been listed as the big reliever on the two-deep for a while now, but I don't think any Jayhawk was sold on him right away. 

I guess what I'm saying is that if, hypothetically, the KU-Nebraska game and Big 12 North Crown were both on the line and Reesing went down, who would really step up?

Pick or Kerry Meier?

Personally, I don't care how many snaps Pick gets in practice. I don't even care how minimal or even non-existent Meier's practice QB snaps are.

I still say that, due to our depth at wide receiver and his big game experience, it would be Meier lining up behind Jeremiah Hatch with the weight of the biggest game in KU football history on his shoulders. 

Why not? Something just made me wonder if Mark Mangino hadn't thought about this already and if, in Mangino's mind, Meier wasn't still the second-best option.

I would still be wondering about these things, too, if it weren't for Kale Pick's long-awaited debut Saturday night.

I know I'm getting ahead of myself, considering I'm discussing a quarterback who has completed only two career passes and the possible repercussions of his two-pass performance on the Big 12 North.

However, after years of cycling repeatedly through backup after backup (Adam Barmann, Jason Swanson, Marcus Herford, Brian Luke, or Zach Dyer—ring a bell, anyone?), it's reassuring to see that Pick could become a perfectly reliable backup for Reesing.

Even in a pinch.

The casual reader won't be amazed by Pick's Saturday night stats (2-of-3, 11 yards passing, three carries, 47 yards, and a fumble), but his stats aren't necessarily that important.

What the few lingering KU spectators saw late in KU's season opener was a young quarterback manage a difficult KU offense and manage it well. 

He ran the clock down appropriately, took no major risks, looked fluid in his hand offs, and flashed the ability to make plays with his feet.

What every die-hard KU faithful who stuck around that long really saw was insurance.

I'm still not 100 percent sold on Pick, but with a little time and a few more lopsided KU victories, I think that Pick will have the opportunity to win a big vote of confidence from the stands.

More importantly, I hope he earns a big vote of confidence from the big fella on the sideline.

Go ahead, Meier. Rest that shoulder up for gimmick plays and stiff-arms. 

Here's to hoping you won't be needing it for anything else anytime soon.

Just Looking Ahead

True freshmen quarterbacks Jordan Webb and Christian Matthews both have their eyes on Pick as well and will battle it out all season long on the practice squad to become Pick's No. 1 challenger next spring.

You can never count out dual-threat athletes like Pick, Matthews, or even 2010 recruit Jacoby Walker, but I have to admit that, when it comes to next year's starter, I'm certainly not forgetting Webb.

If Pick plays very opportunistically this season, next season's starting job is probably his to take. 

In turn, I feel that Webb has the best chance of anyone to sneak up on Pick and snatch it away.

As a visiting high school senior, Webb showed great poise in going 4-of-6 against the KU defense in the spring game, and reports say he creates time behind the line of scrimmage like Reesing.

He may not take KU by storm or even start next season for that matter, but I have a great feeling about this kid. 

Webb will get his chance.