Dwyer: Meier a weapon on many fronts

By Tim Dwyer

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Twenty-nine completions and 253 yards through three games would normally be, simply put, just awful statistics for a quarterback. But when that quarterback is lining up at wide receiver, those numbers are good enough to make Kerry Meier one of the best pass-catchers on a roster loaded with legitimate aerial threats.

Meier, who was recruited as a three-star, dual-threat quarterback out of Pittsburg, Kan., has surprisingly found his role as a go-to possession receiver. Coach Mark Mangino first split Meier out wide against Florida International in the fourth game of 2007. It was a move that now seems deserving of the nickname Mangenius, considering the skill and athleticism that Meier has shown in his limited stint. While Meier didn’t put up any spectacular numbers after cracking the lineup last year — he never caught more than four passes in a single game — he displayed enough promise for the experiment to continue.

That experiment has paid dividends. The ability that Meier has shown at receiver has quickly turned him into a favorite target for quarterback Todd Reesing, and he has led the Jayhawks in receptions in every game. This year, Meier has been the picture of consistency in pulling in an FBS-leading 9.67 passes per game, catching nine balls for 62 and 71 yards in the first two weeks, respectively, and then exploding for 11 catches for 120 yards while showing off what many say are the surest hands on the team against South Florida in week three.

That Meier is seeing so many passes come his way in an offense filled with weapons is a testament to his knack for the position. With his 6-foot-3, 220-pound frame and 4.6 speed, he has provided the perfect short-to-middle yardage target for Reesing, and in a traditional offense he would possibly see more action as a tight end. With offensive coordinator Ed Warriner’s spread offense, however, he fills more of a hybrid role, similar to that of Missouri’s more established Chase Coffman.

Perhaps the most impressive part of Meier’s rebirth as an important facet of the Jayhawk offense is that he doesn’t even practice with his skill group. Still listed as the number two quarterback on the KU depth chart, Meier takes reps with the quarterbacks when the units separate. Come Saturday, however, it is impossible for even the most diehard fans to tell.

It is a surprising story that Meier has been able to successfully transition to a new position, one that isn’t often heard around the ranks of the Big 12, or even college football as a whole. He has gone from starting quarterback to backup quarterback to getting spot time at receiver to being the most consistent threat in the Jayhawks’ feared air attack. He took one for the team in the truest sense, moving from a position he had come to school expecting to play to one he was needed in.

Because of it, he’s gone from having fans call for him to backup to having fans call for him to start.

— — Edited by Kelsey Hayes

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