Opinion: Cozart has QB skills, swagger

By Tom Keegan     Oct 24, 2013

True freshman quarterback Montell Cozart has not been made available for interviews since his name first appeared on the Kansas University football depth chart nine days ago.

He did make an appearance at an Aug. 21 interview session, where he revealed himself to be smart, confident and blessed with youthful innocence, so excited to be part of a college football program close to home.

Not surprisingly, Cozart looked jittery in his debut in the second quarter of Saturday’s 34-19 loss to Oklahoma, made a few wrong reads running the option, and never did get to throw the ball. He also looked blurry fast, a nice quality for a college quarterback.

KU head coach Charlie Weis said Cozart needs to be ready for the entire game plan this week against Baylor, although Jake Heaps remains the starter.

I asked Cozart if he considers himself a better passer or runner.

“I’m equal,” he said. “I’m still pass-first, but I feel like if I need to I can count on my feet to be able to move me around and still be able to make a throw, or if I need to, I can run and maybe get out of bounds.”

He said he has been clocked in the 40 at 4.5 “multiple times” and once ran “4.49” at a scouting combine. He said strength and conditioning coach Scott Holsopple calls him, “Rollout Guy.”

“I love making throws on the run,” Cozart said. “That puts the defense in a bind. Are they going to come up and stop you? You have to make the defense make the decision. Speed brings a different tempo to the game.”

Cozart identified Tom Brady as his favorite pro-style QB and Cam Newton as his favorite dual-threat leader of an offense.

“Tom Brady because he’s Tommy Brady,” Cozart said. “He’s legit. And then Cam Newton, I’ve been watching him since he was at Florida (as Tim Tebow’s backup) and then when he got to Auburn he did some great things. I feel like we’re very similar. He’s definitely a pass-first type, too. And then if he has to move, he moves. He’s way bigger than I am. He’s huge, but he can definitely still run if he has to.”

A 6-foot-2, 189-pound graduate of Bishop Miege, Cozart said he would like to weigh “215, 220” by the time he’s a senior.

Cozart made it sound as if few things in football match the thrill of completing a deep pass.

“You definitely have a feeling, once you let it go you know it’s going to be a completion,” he said. “I guess it’s just a quarterback thing, I don’t know. You just have that type of swagger and confidence about yourself. You just see the receiver running right under it, you’re like, ‘Oh, this is going to be a good play right here.’ It’s definitely a good feeling.”

So is watching one, from what I can remember.

PREV POST

Bittersweet, Caroline: Jarmoc tops KU volleyball record book in loss to ISU

NEXT POST

43311Opinion: Cozart has QB skills, swagger