When Montell Cozart arrived at Kansas in 2013, the true freshman didn’t have all the answers.
Cozart had to figure out then-head coach Charlie Weis’s pro-style offense. For him, the transition was far from seamless, because the system wasn’t like the spread format he had success in at the high school level, at nearby Bishop Miege, in Kansas City, Missouri.
Cozart said Monday he doesn’t think KU’s incoming quarterbacks will have as many issues as they adapt to offensive coordinator Rob Likens’ Air Raid attack. Plus, true freshmen Carter Stanley (from Vero Beach, Florida) and Ryan Willis (also from Bishop Miege) have impressed the junior with their approaches.
> “You can see those guys coming in
> ready to work,” Cozart said. “They
> both have ran similar offense to what
> we’re running now when they were in
> high school.”
KU’s new offense actually benefits every quarterback fortunate enough to play in it, according to Cozart.
> “Now that we’re back to this offense,”
> Cozart said, “it gives all of our
> quarterbacks a lot of confidence,
> because we all can be successful in
> it.”
A few days into preseason camp, Kansas has eight quarterbacks on its roster:
– Cozart (jr., 6-2, 193)
– Keaton Perry (RS-fr., 5-10, 186)
– Stanley (fr., 6-2, 188)
– T.J. Millweard (jr., 6-4, 219)
– Willis (fr., 6-4, 205)
– injured Michael Cummings (sr., 5-10, 212)
– Deondre Ford (jr., 6-1, 200)
– Frank Seurer, Jr. (jr., 5-11, 190)
Cozart said there are “all sorts” of players in KU’s quarterback room, and their various skill sets are on display when the QBs go over practice video.
> “We’ve got guys with cannons. We’ve
> got guys with good feet that can run a
> little bit,” he said. “This offense
> just helps everyone be successful and
> puts you in a great position.”
Both Willis, whom Cozart knows a little from their Miege connection, and Stanley, Cozart’s camp roommate, figure to be his primary competition in the race to become KU’s starter. The junior said every time he leaves a quarterbacks meeting, he comes away impressed with the true freshmen.
> “When we’re watching film, you see
> them jotting down things, trying to
> get better and get to where me, T.J.
> and Mike are in this offense,” Cozart
> said. “They’re trying to catch up, and
> you can see those guys working great.”
For Cozart, it’s fun to have younger QBs around looking up to him. When each day of preseason camp ends, the quarterbacks throw the ball around and talk about “everything” as they all get to know each other.
> “We’re always talking about football,”
> Cozart said. “Just little things
> around the nation, what’s happening in
> the sports world, getting to know one
> another.”
Sharing a room with Stanley for camp has allowed Cozart to discover a lot about him quickly. Cozart said they often watch video and bounce ideas off one another when they see certain things pop up on the screens in front of them. He said Stanley (freshmen and program newcomers can’t speak with media, per team rules) has fewer questions each day, a sign he is learning the offense and getting comfortable.
Likens wants all of the QBs making strides in those areas. Cozart said the coordinator and quarterbacks coach has harped on the importance of recognizing defensive structure at the line of scrimmage, a key component of the Air Raid offense for the signal-callers.
> “You want to know the answer to the
> test before it even comes,” Cozart
> said.
At this point, it seems the junior might have more solutions this season than he did in the past, which is good news for the QB whom head coach David Beaty referenced as having the inside track on the starting gig.
