Inexperience at the quarterback position posed a problem for Kansas University’s football team throughout 2010, but the KU coaching staff has been busy chasing a solution.
KU is one of seven schools to have extended a scholarship offer to junior-college standout Zack Stoudt, a 6-foot-5, 235-pound, pro-style quarterback from Iowa Western Community College in Council Bluffs, Iowa.
In October, KU coach Turner Gill drove to Iowa to watch Stoudt play. Stoudt returned the favor by making a visit to Lawrence the weekend of Nov. 20 for the Jayhawks’ game against Oklahoma State.
Stoudt admittedly knew very little about Gill and his program before his visit. But according to Rivals.com, that changed quickly.
“The first thing that stood out was the coaching staff, and that’s important because you deal with them every day,” Stoudt said. “Coach Chuck Long was great and very nice. We watched film and got to know each other better. He’s the type of coach I would want to play for. Coach Turner Gill is the same way.”
Stoudt’s father, Cliff, is a former NFL quarterback who was the back-up to Pittsburgh Steelers great Terry Bradshaw for six seasons before starting for one. His younger brother, Cole, recently committed to Clemson.
Other than KU, the only BCS school to offer Stoudt is Mississippi, which got in on the process fairly late. Stoudt told Rivals.com last week that KU was his leader.
“I will make my decision based off of playing time and the coaching staffs,” Stoudt said. “Those are the two biggest things I will be looking for. Right now, Kansas is my favorite. Those other schools are going to have to beat them out.”
Stoudt, a three-star prospect according to Rivals.com, also received offers from Akron, Louisiana Tech, Toledo, UTEP and Wyoming.
Stoudt, who committed to Louisville out of high school before choosing the junior-college route, is listed as the No. 2-rated junior-college quarterback in the country and has thrown for 1,800 yards and 18 touchdowns this season.
Iowa Western will play its bowl game Saturday, and Stoudt will graduate in December, making him eligible to attend classes at the Div. I school of his choice in January.
Beshears cracks record books
With 54 kick-return yards in the season finale against Missouri, KU sophomore D.J. Beshears finished the season with 922 yards and broke KU’s single-season record, previously owned by Marcus Herford, who recorded 888 yards on kickoff returns in 2007. In 36 returns, Beshears averaged 25.6 yards and added one touchdown, a 96-yarder in a Week 4 victory against New Mexico State.
Buoyed by the return-yardage totals, Beshears finished the season as KU’s leader in all-purpose yards. His 1,210 total yards — 922 on kickoff returns, 213 rushing, 69 receiving and six on punt returns — were 334 more than KU’s next highest finisher, freshman running back James Sims, who logged 876 total yards.
Finishing touches
The 2010 KU football team featured a handful of anonymous stars. Here’s a look at the Jayhawks leaders at their respective positions:
James Sims led KU in rushing with 742 yards and nine touchdowns. He averaged 4.4 yards per carry and 67.5 yards per game.
Red-shirt freshman Jordan Webb led the Jayhawks in passing. Webb started seven games for KU and completed 121 of 214 passes for 1,195 yards and seven touchdowns. He also tossed eight interceptions and averaged 132.8 yards per game.
Junior Daymond Patterson was KU’s top receiver, in both yards (487) and receptions (60). Patterson also tied for the team lead among wideouts in touchdowns, with two.
Tight end Tim Biere (19 receptions for 228 yards) led the Jayhawks in touchdown receptions, with four.
Defensively, junior linebacker Steven Johnson led KU with 95 tackles, 62 unassisted. Johnson tied for second in sacks — he and senior Chris Harris each had two — while senior Jake Laptad (4.5 sacks) led in that department for the third straight season.
Red-shirt freshman Tyler Patmon and junior Isiah Barfield tied for the team lead in interceptions, with two apiece.