Miami

Jake Heaps Wants the Keys to UM's Offense

The University of the Miami Hurricanes head into the football season with the most important position on the field, quarterback, unsettled. One of the players has loads of promise and the other, Jake Heaps, has loads of experience and has repeatedly transferred with just one more chance to make his mark.

Heaps will be on his third team in four years when he suits up for the Hurricanes. He transferred to “the U” from Kansas. While with the Jayhawks, he played for head coach Charlie Weis and turned in a weak 2013 campaign. Heaps completed less than 50 percent of his passes and threw eight touchdowns to 10 interceptions on an awful Jayhawks team.

Before his time at Kansas, Heaps played for the Brigham Young University Cougars for two years. While at BYU, Heaps completed roughly 57 percent of his passes for 3,768 yards, 24 touchdowns and 17 interceptions.

Heaps is not lacking in confidence, despite the history of transferring from school to school.

“I didn’t come here to be the backup,” Heaps told the Miami Herald. “I made this decision for a reason. I came here to play, but you have to earn that. No one is going to give that to you, and that’s what I knew coming into this situation and that’s what I wanted.”

Heaps’ experience gives him a big leg up against his top competition, Kevin Olsen, Brad Kaaya, and Malik Rosier. The Canes need an experienced quarterback with an opening game at Louisville and a Week 4 trip to Memorial Stadium to play the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

One major player that will help take the pressure off Heaps this year is the return of running back Duke Johnson. If the oft-injured running back can stay healthy, he could unlock all of UM’s offense. Last year, Johnson was averaging 6.34 yards a carry and more than 115 yards per game before he was injured.

Still, Heaps is coming off a tough season last year in which his Jayhawks team won just two games on the field, against Louisiana Tech and South Dakota State. But the talent gulf between Kansas and Miami is so wide that Heaps should be better just on the basis of his teammates in South Florida.

“I’m very excited about this opportunity,” Heaps told the Herald. “This is my last year. I’ve given everything I have at this thing, and it’s extremely important for me to perform well – not only to win the job but for my goals and aspirations down the line as well.”

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