Or as Allen euphemized the other day: “We’re not quite ready at the backup quarterback position.”

Sophomore Jonas Weatherbie and freshman Zach Dyer are the two quarterbacks waiting in the wings. Between them, they have thrown one pass in combat.

The lone aerial belongs to Weatherbie, who completed the toss for 11 yards while mopping up in last year’s 71-14 blowout of Cal State Northridge.

Dyer served as the scout team QB last fall while red-shirting.

“I wouldn’t like to start the SMU game with either one of them at quarterback,” Allen said candidly.

Allen’s comment, while seemingly harsh, wasn’t in reference to the backups’ skills, only their inexperience.

No coach in America wants to start a season with an inexperienced player at the team’s most critical position.

For the record, Dyer is currently listed No. 2 and Weatherbie No. 3 on the depth chart, even though the 6-foot-2, 200-pound Weatherbie has a slight edge in experience over the 6-3, 210-pound Dyer.

Dyer, a highly decorated prep quarterback at Olathe South, has the edge over Weatherbie, son of Navy head coach Charlie Weatherbie, in physical skills.

Dyer, in fact, is as fast as starter Smith and stronger.

“We’re somewhat similar,” Dyer said, “so I don’t think the offense would have to change if I’m in there.”

And Dyer, also a 3.0-plus student, will go into his first collegiate season knowing he could be on the sideline one minute and on the field the next.

“You never know with college football,” Dyer said. “You could have two or three guys go down, so in the back of my mind I have to be ready.”

Because he quarterbacked the scout team last year, Dyer wasn’t able to absorb as much of KU’s offense as Weatherbie did. Thus last spring was a cram course, and he’s still cramming.

“Before I go to bed,” Dyer said, “I always look over a few plays. Playing quarterback is more mental than physical. There are so many things to know, like reading defenses. It’s quite a bit different than high school.”

Dyer went from a standout high school quarterback a Shrine Bowler, the KC Metro male athlete of the year, etc. to a nobody during his first year on Mount Oread.

“Sometimes it would be difficult to get motivated for practice knowing you weren’t going to play,” Dyer said. “It was really good for going to school, though. That first semester isn’t as hectic as it would be if you were playing in games.”

Dyer wasn’t the Lone Ranger. Allen red-shirted virtually the entire freshman class in 1999. All of them were in it together, and little of it was easy.

“All the red-shirt freshman had 6 a.m. workouts in the weight room,” Dyer said. “Then we were in class from 8 to 1. Then from 1 to 7 we had football. It was a busy life, and it was tough getting up for those 6 a.m. workouts.”

Weatherbie, although two months younger than Dyer, is in his third year at KU. He was red-shirted as a freshman in ’98, and spent last season as No. 3 behind Smith and senior Zac Wegner.

“You’ve just got to be ready to play,” Weatherbie said. “You’re one play away from being in there.”

Like Dyer, Weatherbie says he’s ready if needed.

“Nothing can prepare you for being in a game,” he said, “but I know the system pretty well and personally I feel confident.”

Weatherbie isn’t blessed with quite the athleticism of Smith or Dyer, and that’s one reason he didn’t remain in Annapolis, Md., to play for his father, a native of Fort Scott and a former standout QB at Oklahoma State.

“Navy ran the option and I’m not an option quarterback,” Weatherbie said.

Reason No. 2: “It’s the military life. I could handle it, but that’s just not what I was looking for. I wanted the college atmosphere.”