Washington Loses Jake Heaps to BYU

New Washington football coach Steve Sarkisian wanted to make major strides with in-state recruiting, but that campaign was dealt a blow Thursday when Skyline High School (Sammamish, Wash.) quarterback Jake Heaps announced his intentions to attend BYU for the 2010 season.

Sarkisian made a hard push for the 6-foot-2, 195-pounder, the state's top quarterback, after taking the Washington job in December. He made the competition close, but Heaps, who is Mormon, opted for Bronco Mendenhall's program, leaving Sarkisian without a top-notch quarterback to succeed junior Jake Locker. Scout.com rated Heaps as the No. 1 quarterback prospect for the class of 2010 and he led the Spartans to state 4A titles as a sophomore and junior.

Heaps flew to Salt Lake City and made the announcement at a local restaurant a day before BYU's Junior Day. Sarkisian had a unique perspective on Heaps' decision; he is a former BYU quarterback

"It was tough, but in the end, coach Sarkisian once made the same decision I did for the same reasons," Heaps said, according to the Provo Daily Herald. "He understands more than anybody why I did this."