Wednesday Waffle, 2010 Week Twelve

The Waffle
This week, Bronco Mendenhall was hesitant to say that Jake Heaps will be the number one QB going into next year, pointing out that Riley Nelson will be back next season.  Why on earth would Bronco open up that can of worms again?  I understand that Riley Nelson is a great guy, a tough competitor, and a born leader, but really, a starting QB in a pass-oriented offense, after the debacle we experienced early this season?  I am not really waffling in where I stand on the issue, but it is worth discussin the merits of before I dismiss the idea as ridiculous.

Riley's Strengths
Perhaps it cannot be understated how important a leader is at QB.  Just look up on the hill for that as Jordan Wynn watches idly as his offense collapses around him.  Riley certainly looks and acts like a leader.  He is a competitor.  He commands the respect of his teammates.  He is tough, gritty, emotional, and fiery.  He also brings a running dimension at the QB position that BYU hasn't had since Brandon Doman.

Jake's Weaknesses
As with most young QBs, Jake Heaps is a little slow to release the ball.  He does not always recognize coverages or blitzes.  His pocket presence is not phenomenal (his not getting sacked the past two games is more of a reflection of not facing a pass rush than an improvement in that regard).  Jake is not very fleet of foot, though he did have a nice option keeper last week.

Why Nelson's Skills Won't Matter in 2011
The running aspect of Riley Nelson is mitigated somewhat by the fact that BYU appears to have 3 solid RBs going in to next year in JJ DiLuigi, Bryan Kariya, and Josh Quezada.  Ryan Folsom and David Foote have seen some time, and there are some supposedly stellar freshman backs redshirting while playing on the scout team this season as well.  They do not need Riley's running abilities on a down-by-down basis as it appeared they would early in this season.  As far as leadership and grit is concerned, next year's team will have gone through the struggles of this season together.  They will have a chemistry that comes with battling in the trenches, while Riley Nelson, through no fault of his own, is not experiencing that adversity in the same way.  There will be more experienced juniors and seniors, and even very experienced sophomores.  Jake Heaps can also accept more leadership, a quality he certainly showed as HE put together a great recruiting class for Bronco last season.  There will be no shortage of leadership.  As far as grit: Kariya has shown some true grit at times.  Nelson could be allowed to show that on a situational basis, without being responsible for full drives or in a starting role.  Let Kariya provide that throughout the game.

Why Jake's Weaknesses Are Diminished
Jake's weaknesses are weaknesses of youth, not so much lack of physical tools weaknesses.  He can make throws all over the field, other than the touch pass (all of Riley's throws look like touch passes, even when he is trying to rifle it).  His ability to recognize coverages and blitzes will improve over time.  His biggest weakness is inexperience: something he is overcoming this season and will certainly be vastly improved starting into next season.

What I Would Do
There is certainly no reason to sit Riley Nelson on the bench all of the time.  Goalline situations or short third down situations, where BYU is going to run the ball 95% of the time, put Riley Nelson in.  Defenses will have to play honest because Riley can roll out on a fake handoff.  BYU could run some option looks in those situations.  Plus, Riley is still a QB, so he could throw the ball.  It opens up the offense a lot, without taking up too much of valuable practice time revamping the ENTIRE offense.  Treat him like a backup QB.  Name Jake Heaps the starter.  Do not create a controversy that is not there: everyone knows that BYU needs a QB with Jake Heaps' skill set more than one with Riley Nelson's.