KU corrals Pittsburg QB
Meier fourth in line of football brothers, including Titans TE
The biography of Tennessee Titans tight end Shad Meier on the NFL Players Assn. Web site now has Kansas University football fans drooling.
Shad — a former Kansas State standout — is the oldest brother of the Meier football family, a foursome out of Pittsburg that had football success trickle down through the siblings.
After Shad, there was Adam, a former Pittsburg State defensive back; Dylan, Kansas State’s starting quarterback; and now Kerry, a 6-foot-2, 200-pound Pittsburg High senior who during the weekend gave his oral commitment to play quarterback at KU next year.
So how good is Kerry Meier? Just ask big brother Shad, and he’ll tell you that his youngest bro is “the best of the bunch,” according to his NFLPA bio.
Pittsburg High coach Merle Clark chose not to be so bold, but he did say that KU has a good one coming to campus next summer.
“He’s a big, tall kid that can get back there and see the field well,” said Clark, who coached all four Meiers. “But he can run the football well, too.”
Such is the mold of quarterbacks that Kansas coach Mark Mangino and his staff seeks after seeing the success of dual-threat QB Bill Whittemore in 2002 and 2003. One of KU’s most intriguing freshmen this year is Marcus Herford, another versatile quarterback expected to compete for the starting job this spring.
The competition will intensify even more in August when Meier arrives in Lawrence. He spent much of his senior season injured because of a turf toe injury, but still managed to lead Pittsburg to a 7-4 record and state quarterfinal appearance this year, passing for 924 yards and nine touchdowns and rushing for 634 yards and nine more scores.
College coaches have been interested in him for a while, loving his talent and pedigree. Meier eventually received offers from KU, K-State, Texas A&M, Colorado State, Wyoming, Army, TCU and Tulsa. He made just two official visits — to Texas A&M in September and Lawrence earlier this month — before picking the Jayhawks this weekend.
“This is the quarterback that Kansas has had on the board since recruiting started last spring,” Jon Kirby of rivals.com said. “This is the one guy Kansas targeted, and they got him.”
With Meier’s commitment, KU seems to have a firm grip on in-state recruiting, which is led by special teams coach Clint Bowen. In addition to Meier, KU has received commitments from Ottawa’s Caleb Blakesley, Newton’s Adam Welty and Kansas City Washington’s Darrell Stuckey. All are ranked among the top six prospects in the state, according to rivals.com.
“This sends a huge message in-state,” Kirby said. “With Caleb Blakesley on board, and now Meier, you have the top two players in Kansas.”
Clark agreed that KU has done a good job of getting Kansas high school players to take notice.
“The first thing is to look at the school and how that suits your academic needs,” Clark said. “I think coach Bowen has done a real good job of presenting that, being honest and being forthright. He’s doing a great job, and so is coach Mangino.”
Meier is KU’s 10th known commitment for the 2005 season. National signing day for football is Feb. 2.
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KU corrals Pittsburg QB