Kansas Football: Who should win Jayhawks quarterback job?

By Hayden Hyde | Aug 20, 2015

The Jayhawks find themselves without a quarterback two weeks before the opener. Who will come out on top?

The opener to the 2015 college football season is fast approaching, and five Big 12 teams have yet to name a starting quarterback. Most coaches will wait until a week prior to their opener to choose a starter, unless the choice is absolutely clear like at TCU where Heisman favorite Trevone Boykin is lining up under center.

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Even two marquee programs, the Oklahoma Sooners and the Texas Longhorns, have yet to name a starter. Trevor Knight and Tyrone Swoopes are both battling for jobs even though they were starters last season.

The Kansas Jayhawks find themselves in a similar situation. Senior Michael Cummings finished last season as the starter for Kansas, but tore his ACL during the spring game. However, Montell Cozart, who started the first four games last year, and was the original starter, returns to Lawrence.

First-year head coach David Beaty finds himself in an interesting position. He can go to Cozart who previously lost the job or start a youth movement and . Beaty was previously the wide receivers coach at Texas A&M, and the Aggies surely didn’t shy away from playing freshman where redshirt freshman Johnny Manziel won a Heisman and true freshman Kyle Allen started the last five games last year.

Could Beaty opt for one of the freshman?

Cozart showed poise and promise in the opener, but was benched in favor of Cummings after some less than spectacular outings. Cozart threw five touchdowns and seven interceptions and was stuck to the bench. Many were surprised to see that Cozart hadn’t already locked in his spot already, but Beaty seems to be taking this competition slowly.

"“If we could make that decision a couple weeks into camp, that would be great. But we’re not going to unless we know.” – David Beaty — The Kansas City Star"

Freshman Ryan Willis and Carter Stanley may both be dark horses to win the starting job due to their lack of experience, but I don’t think Beaty would be opposed to giving playing time to a freshman if they’re the best option.

Willis stands tall at 6’4” and has a nice deep ball, perhaps even the best arm on the Kansas roster. Charlie Weis’ staff recruited him, so he may be better suited for a pro-style offense. However, with proper protection and smart play calling he could thrive in an air raid offense.

Carter Stanley can beat teams with his arm and his legs. Stanley adds something different to Kansas’ quarterback depth chart, and although his skills are different, it could set him apart in this competition.

Starting a true freshman could add some excitement to a Jayhawk program that does not have much to be excited about. Beaty is a new, young head coach, so his tendencies will be a little harder to predict. Regardless of who wins, they’ll need to play well if Kansas expects to compete in the Big 12.

I believe that Cozart will win the job almost by default, but I would not be surprised to see him lose that job midway through the season. I think the two freshman are more talented and bring more upside, and after a few bad games for Cozart and a few good practices for the rookies, an opportunity could arise.

Beaty also didn’t rule out Michael Cummings returning later in the season.

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