Despite the potential logjam at the quarterback position — assuming everyone will be healthy by spring practice — Kansas University football coach Mark Mangino still has no reservations about combing the high school ranks in search of the next great KU quarterback.
“I don’t feel an immediate need for a junior-college quarterback,” Mangino said. “I feel we’ll at least sign a high school quarterback. But I can always change my mind.”
With Adam Barmann, Jason Swanson, Brian Luke and Marcus Herford all expected to compete for the starting quarterback job next year, any signal-caller the Jayhawks sign won’t be thrown into the fire right away. But depth at the position never can hurt, and — as KU found out this season — a stacked position can become paper-thin in one bad stretch.
Mangino’s quarterback search might not extend past Kansas this year. It’s no secret the Jayhawk coaching staff likes Pittsburg High’s Kerry Meier, a dual-threat quarterback with a pedigree coaches salivate over. He’s the younger brother of Tennessee Titans tight end Shad Meier, current Kansas State quarterback Dylan Meier and former Pittsburg State defensive back Adam Meier.
“That never hurts,” said Jon Kirby of rivals.com. “One thing coaches have to like is that he understands the work and effort to make it at the Division One level. He saw the work his brothers went through.”
Kerry Meier will have his choice among several schools in the region, but he told Kirby this week that Texas A&M and Kansas lead the pack. Kansas State, Tulsa, Colorado State, Wyoming, Army and TCU have extended offers to Meier, as well.
There’s a reason he’s getting so much love, too, said Kirby.
“He is so finished and refined fundamentally,” Kirby said. “I don’t remember the last time I saw a quarterback out of the state of Kansas that can do what he can do.”
The 6-foot-2, 200-pound Meier will make his official visit to KU on Dec. 3. He has no other visits lined up yet, though he visited Texas A&M in September.
Meier spoke highly of Clint Bowen, the KU assistant in charge of in-state recruiting.
“He’s a cool guy and seems honest up-front,” Meier told rivals.com. “He seems like he is more of a players’ coach.”
Meier led Pittsburg to a 7-4 record and state-quarterfinal appearance this year, despite being hampered by turf toe in the season’s final month. Among the victories was a first-round state playoff victory over Overland Park Aquinas, in which Pittsburg rallied from being down 17-0 with eight minutes to go to win, 20-17, behind two touchdown passes from Meier.
“That’s an injury that will take many players out,” Pittsburg coach Merle Clark said. “But Kerry’s always been about team. He’ll do whatever it takes.”
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Other in-staters: Rivals.com ranked the top 12 college prospects in the state of Kansas in the summer, and second-ranked Meier is the only one in the top six who has yet to commit.
Of the other five, three have given their word to KU: top-ranked Caleb Blakesley, a 6-5, 270-pound lineman out of Ottawa; fourth-ranked Adam Welty, a 6-6, 270-pound lineman out of Newton; and sixth-rated Darrell Stuckey, a defensive back out of Kansas City Washington.
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Up-and-comer: Kirby also lauded linebacker/defensive back Mackenzie Rosel of Liberal, who was rated 12th in the state in the preseason, but surely will move up when the new rankings come out in December.
Rosel, a 6-2, 200-pound linebacker, was offered by Kansas State earlier this month and attended KU’s 27-23 loss to Texas on Nov. 13.
“I really think if Kansas offers him,” Kirby said, “it’s going to be a battle.”