Jake Heaps: Talented QB Will Be a Program-Changing Transfer

Jake Heaps has the potential to be one of the best QBs in the country, and he is looking for a new team.

Heaps announced on Monday that he would be transferring from BYU.

Andrea Adelson of ESPN has a quote from coach Bronco Mendenhall on Heaps:

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Jake is a great young man with tremendous potential and someone I deeply care about. I am sorry to see him leave this wonderful institution yet anxious to follow his future development and success.

 

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Why He is Transferring

Heaps shared QB duties at BYU as a true freshman. He entered his second year as the unquestioned starter. He started the first five games and struggled. He completed just 53 percent of passes and had three touchdowns to five interceptions.

Heaps lost his starting job to junior Riley Nelson. Nelson was injured and Heaps started the last two games of the season. Heaps performed much better and had six touchdowns to two interceptions.

With Nelson on the mend, Heaps was not going to be the starter for the bowl game and he didn't figure to be the starter next season.

Here is Heaps, as quoted by Adelson:

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Definitely this season hasn't taken the course I had planned or our team had planned, but I'm just taking it in stride with what has been given to me. The opportunity to play last two games, just trying to make sure I was ready and all the hard work paid off. It's been a tough season. It hasn't been easy, but I'm working hard at continuing to get better. That's all I've been trying to do.

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The Promise

So this leaves Heaps as a free agent of sorts. He is going to find no lack of programs that would love to bring him in.

This is a QB that two years ago Rivals.com rated as the No.1 QB prospect in the nation. Check out some of the highlights that made him the No. 1 QB recruit.

Heaps has a strong arm, great mechanics, solid accuracy and a quick release. He has shown promise in his time at BYU, he just needs to make better decisions. And that will come. Heaps has already shown improvement in his last few starts, and those gains will only continue as he matures. 

Heaps has given no indication where he will look to transfer. If he goes to another Division 1-A school, he will have to sit out a year. That would leave Heaps as a well-practiced senior and ready to play at an extremely high level.

If Heaps decides to drop down a level then he would be able to play right away. That would give Jake a chance to flash his amazing skill against weaker competition.

In either scenario, the school where he winds up is going to reap the rewards.