The Salt Lake Tribune
Monday, March 24, 2008
Football: BYU offers Seattle-area sophomore QB
I know it's a week late, but I finally got around to transcribing some of the interviews I recorded at the New Level Athletics 7 on 7 passing tournament for high school underclassmen in Las Vegas. I hope to post a bunch of items from the camp this week.

This one is on Jake Heaps, a 6-foot-2, 180-pound quarterback at Skyline High is Issaquah, Wash., who already has scholarship offers from BYU and Washington.

Just a sophomore, Heaps led Washington the championship at the camp, after the team started 0-2 in pool play. Washington was at a disadvantage because its coach, Steve Gervais (who was also Heaps' head coach at Skyline) took a job as Washington's running backs coach just days before the camp and was unable to coach the team in Las Vegas, per NCAA rules.

Heaps confirmed that Washington and BYU have already offered, but said he has received a lot of interest from USC, UCLA, Arizona State, Florida, Michigan and Texas.

"BYU is recruiting me pretty heavily right now," he said. "Since I am LDS, it was easy to offer me for BYU. But they said they were really intrigued by how I played, and how poised I am in the pocket for a sophomore."

Heaps led Skyline to an unbeaten record and the Washington state 3A championship last fall.

He was named to the All-Las Vegas Camp team by Scout.com.

Heaps was planning to take an unofficial visit to BYU last Thursday to watch the Cougars practice during spring camp (I'm not sure if he made it or not). He said he also plans to visit USC and UCLA this week.

"I've talked to [former BYU quarterback] Steve Sarkisian and coach [Pete] Carroll at USC for about 15 minutes," he said. "I'm also interested in talking to UCLA, with Norm Chow there."

Heaps, incredibly well-spoken for a sophomore, said he is "probably" going to go on an LDS Church mission and has told all the schools that have talked to him that he could be leaving after his freshman year.

"That's one of the first questions I get asked: ‘Are you going on a mission?'" he said. "Schools want to know. It is totally understandable."

As far as BYU goes, Heaps said he has developed a strong relationship with quarterbacks coach Brandon Doman despite the limited contact they've had.

"They have told me I am their No. 1 quarterback recruit [from the class of 2010]," he said. "They have expressed to me that they really want me down there at BYU....They say it would be a good fit for me, and they say I'm their guy. It's really flattering."

Heaps said he doesn't have a timeline for deciding in place, but wants to make a commitment before his senior season begins.

"I am going to take as long as I need," he said.

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About Jay and Lya
   Jay Drew and Lya Wodraska cover high school and college recruiting for the Salt Lake Tribune. If you have recruiting news, e-mail drew@sltrib.com.