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SALT LAKE CITY -- There is no doubt that Jake Heaps rates as one of the most disappointing quarterback prospects to play in the state of Utah, as evidenced by his decision to transfer after just two years at BYU. It was a scenario no one envisioned when spurned offers from dozens of other schools to enroll and play in Provo.
From a historical perspective, there are some questions that need answers. Is Heaps the biggest flop among outgoing quarterback transfers? What about the flip side, namely, what quarterbacks benefitted from a transfer into the BYU or Utah programs? Are there any quarterbacks who found success elsewhere after leaving BYU or Utah? Where does Utah State fit in all of this?
The following lists won't include junior college transfers, because that is a natural transition in the recruitment and development of players. As a result, these lists consist solely of quarterbacks who began their collegiate careers at four-year schools.
Five quarterbacks for whom transferring didn't work out like they had hoped:
5. Gym Kimball, to Utah State from BYU
Kimball was stuck in a logjam at quarterback in the early 1980s, and unless your name was McMahon or Young, being a part of the BYU program meant you either changed positions or accepted your benchwarmer role.
Before Riley Nelson made waves for going from Logan to Provo, Kimball did the opposite. He received spot duty in 1983, but finally got his chance as a full-time starter Utah State in 1984 and showed why he wasn't ready to challenge any of the current BYU greats, tossing nine interceptions against just seven touchdowns. By completing less than half of his pass attempts, it's no wonder Kimball was saddled with a mediocre passer rating of 103.2.
But as bad as Kimball's numbers were, they paled in comparison to Utah State's record. The Aggies went 1-10 in 1984, the worst non-wartime season in school history up to that point, and has since been surpassed only by a 1-11 campaign in 2006.
4. Ryan Breska, to Utah from Purdue
Breska began his career at Purdue, and even with the departure of Drew Brees after the 2000 season, the quarterback situation there didn't offer much promise of playing time. So Breska headed west, but couldn't get any higher than No. 3 on the depth chart behind Lance Rice and Brett Elliott, so he gave up on football and focused on baseball instead.
It was in baseball where Breska earned his biggest notoriety. As a member of the "Utah 8", Breska was part of a group of players who painted the Block Y red. When their act was discovered by a department store employee in its photography services shop, the employee, a sympathetic BYU fan, notified authorities.
Breska and his teammates were initially charged with second-degree felony mischief. If convicted, the baseball players faced a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and a $5,000 fine. Fortunately for both the reputation of the players and the Utah County district attorney's office, a plea was reached and the players pleaded guilty to a Class B misdemeanor vandalism charge. Those records were expunged after the players successfully completed a one-year probationary period.
3. Ben Olson, to UCLA from BYU
The nation's top quarterback prospect in 2001, Olson was viewed as the next-in-line of great BYU quarterbacks, although it would be a few years as he had expressed his intention to serve an LDS mission. As expected, Olson redshirted during the 2002 season.
While on his mission, Gary Crowton was fired and with uncertainty over how he would be received by new head coach Bronco Mendenhall and his staff, Olson transferred to his hometown school. After sitting behind Drew Olson (no relation) in UCLA's 10-2 campaign in 2005, Olson began each of the next two years as UCLA's starter, but injuries kept him from playing a full season. In 2008, Olson broke a bone in his foot and without any hope of a medical redshirt, didn't play at all his senior year.
But like several BYU quarterbacks before and after him, Olson still managed to enjoy some of his best — and worst — moments against Utah. His career single-game high for passing yardage came in his first start, a 318-yard effort against the Utes in the 2006 season opener in a 31-10 victory. But the following year, with the Bruins coming into Salt Lake City carrying a No. 11 ranking nationally, Olson was harrassed into throwing three interceptions and was sacked five times, including a steamrolling job by Terrell Cole, in Utah's 44-6 victory.
2. Tommy Grady, to Utah from Oklahoma
If you've read the links provided for the two Utah-UCLA games mentioned above with Ben Olson, then seeing Grady's name here should not be a surprise, since he played a significant role in the outcome of both of those games.
Grady transferred to Utah after Alex Smith's decision to declare for the NFL draft, and with only an untested Brian Johnson in front of him on the depth chart, it wasn't unreasonable to envision a scenario in which Grady was Utah's starter in the 2006 season. But when Johnson — who had already performed beyond expectations as a true sophomore — went down with a torn ACL near the end of the 2005 season, that opened the door for Brett Ratliff and for him to get a hold on the starting job heading into the 2006 season. Even after Johnson opted to redshirt in 2006, Grady couldn't win the job outright.
That's not to say Grady wasn't given chances, but he never shined in relief of Ratliff in two instances in the 2006 season — the aforementioned UCLA game, as well as in a 36-3 drubbing at the hands of Boise State.
Grady had a roller-coaster three-game stint as a starter in 2007, first losing to Air Force 20-12, then starring in the UCLA victory before being pulled at halftime the following week in one of the most infamous losses in Ute lore (a 27-0 defeat to UNLV). By season's end, true freshman Corbin Louks was seeing a fair number of snaps in Utah's Wildcat package, and Grady was nailed to the bench. So disappointed initially was Grady in his Utah experience, he went back to Oklahoma for his Pro Day workout and admitted regret over his decision to leave Norman.
His second arrival in Utah has gone much more smoothly as Grady has emerged as one of the top passers in the Arena League. Grady now looks back on his collegiate experiences as necessary in helping his approach to the game today.
1. Jake Heaps, to ??? from BYU
With two years of eligibility remaining, there is plenty of time for the book on Heaps' college career to close with a fairytale ending. Which is good, because those chapters certainly couldn't be any more ghoulish than what Heaps has already had to endure.
Just like Heaps can play his way off or even down this ignomious list of quarterbacks, he stands atop it because no one did more to aid Heaps' transformation from hotshot prospect into collosal bust than Jake Heaps himself.
His press conference at a local restaurant to announce his impending signing with BYU — even if it included a couple of highly touted recruits — immediately gave Heaps an image of a grandstander. He talked of winning national championships, but couldn't beat Utah State. It's hard to imagine that Heaps' laissez-faire attitude toward his own turnovers endeared himself to his teammates. And even if Heaps does go on to a successful collegiate career, he'll always carry the foul odor of a 54-10 loss to Utah like the stink on a skunk.
With less fanfare and more humility, Heaps' fall might be viewed in a more sympathetic light. Instead, he will forever undergo the harsh glare and scrutiny afforded one who fails to deliver the goods.
Five quarterbacks for whom transferring proved beneficial:
5. Drew Miller, Brett Elliott and Todd Mortensen
Sometimes, dropping a level or two is not just the best option, it's the only option. Miller was the first to prove this, going from BYU to Montana. Everything you need to know about his post-BYU career is in a story on montanagrizzlies.com from just a few months ago.
It's interesting to see how these quarterbacks share an intertwined history. Todd Mortensen, much like Alex Smith with the 49ers, had his collegiate career brought back from the dead at the University of San Diego, where Jim Harbaugh had landed his first head coaching gig. The similarities between Mortensen and Smith are well documented in a San Francisco Chronicle story at the start of the 2011 season.
If Brett Elliott didn't break his wrist at the end of Utah's second game in the 2003 season, who knows at what point Alex Smith would've been given a shot? But once Smith got on the field and immediately established himself as Utah's quarterback of the present and future, Elliott knew he had to go elsewhere. No one begrudged him for going to Division III Linfield College, where he led the school to a national championship while throwing for an all-division record 61 touchdown passes. He's now with the Georgia Force of the AFL, after preceding none other than Tommy Grady as the Utah Blaze's starting quarterback.
4. Riley Nelson, from Utah State to BYU
Nelson rescued BYU's 2011 season from the trash heap, engineering a comeback victory against Utah State while winning five of his six starts. He will enter the 2012 season as BYU's undisputed No. 1 quarterback. But before coming to BYU, Nelson took his lumps at Utah State, and much like Gym Kimball, was part of the worst Utah State team to date during his time in Logan. In 2006, before Nelson went on an LDS mission and transferred to BYU, he started or played in eight games, including the Aggies' lone win in a 1-11 season, a 13-12 victory against Fresno State.
3. Mike McCoy, from Long Beach State to Utah
McCoy didn't have a choice in leaving LBSU, since the 49ers dropped football after his freshman season. Utah beat out Wyoming and Oklahoma State for McCoy's services, which were available immediately.
In 1992, McCoy was viewed as invaluable after losing in relief to woebegone New Mexico and in his first start to lowly UTEP. But he led Utah to a win at Air Force the following week — the first win ever for Utah in Colorado Springs. As a junior, he was second in the nation in total offense, and as a senior, led Utah to its first 10-win season and highest national rank to that point. Today, he's the offensive coordinator of the Denver Broncos.
2. Max Hall, from Arizona State to BYU
Hall's numbers, by their sheer frequency with which they appear in the Cougar record book, demand your attention. He's the all-time leader in wins at BYU, and if not for Ty Detmer, would likely be on top of every major passing statistical category at BYU. Hall played with the Arizona Cardinals last year before being waived last summer.
Like so many other quarterback transfers, Hall's decision to come to BYU was rooted in opportunity. The coach that recruited him to Arizona State, Dirk Koetter, tells a pretty good account of Hall's time at Arizona State to the Daily Herald.
1. Lee Grosscup, from Washington to Utah, via Santa Monica (Calif.) City College
Passing games today are more sophisticated than they were in 1957, when Grosscup arrived at Utah, but for his time, Grosscup was the top signal caller in the game. Utah was the top passing team in the nation in Grosscup's junior year, and his 316-yard effort against No. 8 Army made him a national name. Grosscup finished 10th in the Heisman voting and earned several first- and second-team all-America honors.
Even after coach "Cactus" Jack Curtice left for Stanford and Grossman couldn't follow up his spectacular junior campaign, he was still respected enough in the pro game to be a first-round pick of the New York Giants, No. 12 overall, in the 1959 draft. After his playing days were over, he spent over 20 years as a college football analyst with ABC, as well as providing color commentary for Cal-Berkeley
Patrick Sheltra is sports editor of the Twin Falls (Idaho) Times-News and the author of "100 Things Utes Fans Should Know and Do Before They Die." Read more of his thoughts on Ute sports at scriptutah.blogspot.com or on Twitter @100ThingsUtah.
