Kansas Announces The Signing of Dayne Crist, Jake Heaps and Justin McCay
Jan. 16, 2012
LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas football officially added three highly touted transfers to its roster Monday, announcing the signings of quarterbacks Dayne Crist and Jake Heaps and wide receiver Justin McCay. Crist, who recently graduated from Notre Dame, will be eligible immediately and has one year of eligibility remaining. Heaps, who completed his sophomore season at Brigham Young in November, will have to sit out one season per NCAA transfer rules and will have two years of eligibility remaining starting with the 2013 season. McCay, who is coming to KU from Oklahoma, is awaiting word from the NCAA on his official status.
Crist, the No. 2-ranked quarterback in the Class of 2008 according to Rivals.com, will reunite with Weis after being recruited by the current Kansas head coach to Notre Dame during his time as the head coach of the Fighting Irish (2005-09). The 6-foot-4, 235-pound Canoga Park, Calif., native played three seasons and made 10 starts for Notre Dame from 2008-11. During his time at with the Irish, he threw for 2,327 yards, with 16 touchdowns and nine interceptions, while earning 10 starts. His best season, both statistically, came during 2010, when he started nine games and threw for 2,033 yards and 15 TDs.
Following his senior season at Notre Dame High School, Crist was selected to play in U.S. Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio. He was one of six finalists for the 2008 U.S. Army Player of the Year Award and was one of seven finalists for the Joe Montana Quarterback of the Year Award. Crist completed 57.8 percent of passes for 2,178 yards with 16 TDs and one interception in 10 games as a senior in 2007. In addition to being recruited by Weis to Notre Dame, Crist also had offers out of high school from Florida State, USC, Iowa, Michigan, Stanford, Nebraska and Oregon out of high school.
Heaps, the former No. 1-ranked quarterback in the Class of 2010 according to both Rivals.com and Scout.com, started the final 10 games of his freshman season at BYU (2010) and the first five games in 2011. While with the Cougars, he set freshman school records for yards passing (2,316), attempts (383), completions (219) and touchdown passes (15) during the 2010 season. Heaps led BYU to a 7-6 overall mark in 2010 and a win over UTEP in the New Mexico Bowl. In 2011, Heaps played in nine games, starting six. He completed 144-of-252 passes, good for 1,452 yards and nine TDs.
Heaps earned Parade All-America honors following his senior season and was invited to play in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl as the starting quarterback for the West team. A native of Issaquah, Wash., he led his Skyline High School team to three consecutive state championships and a perfect 28-0 mark during his sophomore and junior campaigns. Heaps completed 213-of-352 passes for 3,191 yards and 45 touchdowns as a and owns high school career totals of 9,196 yards, 114 touchdowns and only 18 interceptions, while also rushing for 30 touchdowns. In addition to being recruited by Weis while he was at Notre Dame, Heaps was also recruited by Oklahoma, Florida State, USC, Florida, UCLA, Georgia, Alabama, California, Tennessee, Washington and LSU out of high school.
McCay, the top-ranked player in the state of Kansas in 2009 according to Rivals.com, played in three games as a redshirt freshman for the Sooners in 2011 while struggling through injuries. The Kansas City, Mo., native was rated a five-star recruit by Scout.com and a four-star recruit by Rivals.com following his senior season at Bishop Miege High School, where he played under current KU offensive line coach Tim Grunhard. He was selected to participate in the U.S. Army All-American game, where he teamed up with Heaps.
McCay was named to the 2009 Kansas Football Coaches Association All-State team as a senior after registering 46 receptions for 926 yards and 15 touchdowns and 18 carries for 252 yards and four touchdowns. He also recorded 12 kick returns for 426 yards (35.5 average) and two TDs along with five punt returns (18.2 average) and one touchdown in his final season with the Stags. He also picked up first team all-state honors by the Topeka Capital Journal, the Wichita Eagle and the Kansas City Star.
