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Late-blooming QB Stanley could be just what Kansas needs
As the Jayhawks aim to start fresh under new head coach David Beaty, they appear to lack a leader at the most important offensive position: quarterback.
Senior Michael Cummings will likely miss the beginning of the season due to a knee injury sustained in Kansas' spring game, and 2014 season opener starter Montell Cozart might be better suited at a different position.
With the incumbent quarterback situation unsettled, the Jayhawks face plenty of uncertainty about the QB position in 2015.
Incoming freshman Carter Stanley might be able to shed some light on that uncertainty.
Stanley, a 6-foot-2, 190-pound Vero Beach (Fla.) native, is being considered a steal for Kansas after other major programs failed to notice him and his well-rounded talent.
"In Florida, with us having spring football, this is the time we get a ton of traffic through here with college coaches," his high school coach, Lenny Jankowski, says to KU Sports. "Well, Carter's a unique case because he was only a one-year starter, so I'm sitting here in December of last year, this kid is the best player who has ever played for me, and he doesn't have a lot happening. I'm thinking, 'This is going to be one of the biggest travesties in the history of the sport.' Now fast-forward to May."
His commitment to Kansas drew attention from other coaches, who were astonished that they'd overlooked him.
"They all have the same reaction," Jankowski said. "It's, 'Golly, is he something else! Why didn't we go on him?' … They say that he has everything you want. That's been told to me 10 times this spring. Now that they’ve been through spring ball, and guys that they thought would be the guy haven't panned out, and there they are, saying, 'Holy smokes! This kid is going to be something!' He's a great story and a completely unselfish kid who works his butt off."
While his talent is captivating, what has the Jayhawks excited for him to join the team is his knowledge of the style of offense that new offensive coordinator Rob Likens is installing at KU.
"Definitely, it's an advantage," said Jankowsi. "But Carter will be playing at a very high level in college. Say what you want, but when you're a true freshman, there are going to be some growing pains. Carter's a very cerebral kid. His understanding of offensive football is pretty good, and his understanding of what defenses do to counter what offenses are doing is good, too. Once he gets up there and gets in the college practices, the game will slow down at a faster rate than a guy who hasn't been in that offense."
Check out Stanley's highlight reel below.
(h/t KU Sports)
