Kansas quarterback Carter Stanley (9) heaves a deep pass for a touchdown to wide receiver Chase Harrell (3) during the fourth quarter on Saturday, Sept. 3, 2016 at Memorial Stadium.

Without ever taking a snap as the team’s starting quarterback, Kansas redshirt freshman Carter Stanley already had earned the respect of the Jayhawks’ top receiver, Steven Sims Jr.

“He’s a baller,” Sims said Tuesday of Stanley. “If he gets the job, I can’t wait to see what we do this week.”

Sims and every person in Memorial Stadium Saturday morning will get to witness Stanley’s impact on the KU offense for themselves. Head coach David Beaty announced Friday his decision to start Stanley against Iowa State (11 a.m. kickoff, FOX Sports Net).

“Carter’s had a great week of practice and he went in and he kind of sparked us the other day (at West Virginia),” Beaty said on 610 Sports’ “Fescoe in the Morning.” “So Carter’s gonna get the start tomorrow, and I know he’s excited about that… I know he’s fired up and ready to go. But the rest of those guys (other quarterbacks) have got to be prepared, because they’re only one play away.”

The Stanley “spark” Beaty often has referenced over the past several days came in the second half of a 48-21 loss at WVU. When junior QB Montell Cozart — starter in seven of nine games for KU (1-8 overall, 0-6 Big 12) this season, and available to play versus Iowa State — suffered what turned out to be a concussion, Stanley entered in relief to complete nine of 11 passes for 127 yards and two touchdowns, with one interception.

While playing the final 20 minutes, much of it with KU’s first string, Stanley connected with Sims for passes of seven, 14, 11 and 32 yards, including one touchdown.

“I was very surprised with Carter’s play,” Sims said. “I didn’t know he was gonna come in and just ball out like that — I mean, especially on the road against a tough West Virginia team. But it was fun to see him do that and it was fun to be out there playing with him. He brought great energy to the team in the second half, and I wish we could’ve had that in the first half.”

Ahead of the first start of his college career, Stanley, a 6-foot-2, 196-pound right-hander from Vero Beach, Fla., appeared — mostly sparingly — in six games. He enters a home matchup against ISU (1-8, 0-6) with a 68.8-percent completion rate (22-for-32), 266 passing yards, three touchdowns, two interceptions and one sack.

Beaty, who also serves as KU’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, said Stanley improved behind the scenes during the past several weeks and credited the redshirt freshman’s attention to details for his development. Even when Stanley wasn’t playing quarterback during practices, the head coach said the then-backup went through every play behind the offense, from procedure to communication — mimicking every responsibility as if he were taking the rep.

“He’s been doing it for four or five weeks and it’s something we require our guys to do, but he never misses a play,” Beaty said earlier this week, before naming Stanley the starter. “…And then he’ll actually take his drop and you’ll see his eyes working. I think that’s really what’s helped him. I think his commitment to being prepared is what helped him step in the other day and play well, and he sparked us.”

Sims, who thinks highly of KU’s new No. 1 quarterback, said Stanley shouldn’t be limited to standing in the pocket and making throws, either.

“He can run,” Sims responded, when asked of Stanley’s biggest strength at this point of his career. “People don’t realize that he can pull the ball down and run and that he can hurt you with his feet, as well as passing the ball. I think that’s a sleeper of Carter’s.”

On 11 carries thus far, Stanley has gained 44 yards and lost seven, for a 3.4 yards per carry average, with a long of 24.

Stanley becomes the third starting quarterback for Kansas this season, joining Cozart and sophomore Ryan Willis, who hasn’t appeared in a game since a three-interception performance at Baylor on Oct. 15 concluded his two-week stint as a starter.