ckparrothead
Premium Member
(here's a bit more long-form on Bailey Zappe)
In a senior QB class that looks like trash to me, Bailey Zappe of Houston Baptist is a legit standout.
Versatile arm. Can really pull the string when he needs to, can throw it sidearm if he needs to, can execute throws at really awkward angles on the move, drops the ball into the dead spot in the zones, can throw the big moon ball and let a receiver run under it, and then if you just stand him up and give him footwork to execute, he can throw the heater as well. Throws it with dudes right in his face. Pretty much everything you could want.
Lively feet. He's not an athlete but it's not Game Over when you get him on the move. He's very confident with what he can do with the football as a thrower on the move. He uses his feet to trick a defense.
Four-year starter, two-year standout. That fits. He's 6'2" & 215 lbs (listed that way and he's verified it in interview). That fits. He was a Walter Payton semi-finalist in 2019. That fits.
This year was unique, as he was one of the few FCS teams that were able to play some games, agreeing to play three opponents in the FBS. So what did he do? He elevated his game. He took Texas Tech to the WIRE and nearly beat them. Threw for 572 yards and 4 TDs in THEIR stadium. Scored a bunch of points on La Tech and North Texas. He beat Eastern Kentucky.
Coached by OC/QB Coach Zach Kittley, who was a student assistant coach under Kliff Kingsbury in 2013, then became an offensive Graduate Assistant for three years 2014, 2015, and 2016. Kittley coached the likes of Baker Mayfield, Davis Webb, and Patrick Mahomes. That's what makes it interesting that in an interview about who he compares himself to, Zappe said he looks at Baker Mayfield and Patrick Mahomes.
He has a reputation, known and acknowledged among the coaches, for turning it up a notch when he faces an FBS team. And he might have played his greatest game against the Big 12 opponent Texas Tech, in their home stadium. Zappe's statistics against FBS opponents are actually better than his statistics against FCS opponents.
FBS 2020 (La Tech): 37 of 58 for 406 yards, 5 TD, 1 INT
FBS 2020 (Texas Tech): 30 of 49 for 567 yards, 4 TD, 0 INT
FBS 2020 (North Texas): 39 of 62 for 480 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT
FBS 2019 (UTEP): 27 of 37 for 300 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT
FBS 2018 (SMU): 27 of 49 for 226 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT
FBS 2017 (Texas State): 21 of 34 for 199 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT
Total FBS: 181 of 289 for 2,178 yards, 16 TD, 2 INT (101 Passer Rating)
Total FCS: 569 of 922 for 6,288 yards, 57 TD, 27 INT (90 Passer Rating)
Zappe only had one offer coming out of High School...to HBU. Has his degree in marketing, working on his Masters.
Here's the shorthand on Bailey Zappe:
In a senior QB class that looks like trash to me, Bailey Zappe of Houston Baptist is a legit standout.
Versatile arm. Can really pull the string when he needs to, can throw it sidearm if he needs to, can execute throws at really awkward angles on the move, drops the ball into the dead spot in the zones, can throw the big moon ball and let a receiver run under it, and then if you just stand him up and give him footwork to execute, he can throw the heater as well. Throws it with dudes right in his face. Pretty much everything you could want.
Lively feet. He's not an athlete but it's not Game Over when you get him on the move. He's very confident with what he can do with the football as a thrower on the move. He uses his feet to trick a defense.
Four-year starter, two-year standout. That fits. He's 6'2" & 215 lbs (listed that way and he's verified it in interview). That fits. He was a Walter Payton semi-finalist in 2019. That fits.
This year was unique, as he was one of the few FCS teams that were able to play some games, agreeing to play three opponents in the FBS. So what did he do? He elevated his game. He took Texas Tech to the WIRE and nearly beat them. Threw for 572 yards and 4 TDs in THEIR stadium. Scored a bunch of points on La Tech and North Texas. He beat Eastern Kentucky.
Coached by OC/QB Coach Zach Kittley, who was a student assistant coach under Kliff Kingsbury in 2013, then became an offensive Graduate Assistant for three years 2014, 2015, and 2016. Kittley coached the likes of Baker Mayfield, Davis Webb, and Patrick Mahomes. That's what makes it interesting that in an interview about who he compares himself to, Zappe said he looks at Baker Mayfield and Patrick Mahomes.
“He’s one of the best I’ve been around,” said Kittley, who was assistant quarterbacks coach at Texas Tech under Kliff Kingsbury before coming to HBU. “This offense is predicated around him and what he can do. Leading us into the right plays, getting us in the right checks.
“If he sees something he doesn’t like, he’s done a phenomenal job of seeing the defense and getting us into some plays that we need to be in.”
He has a reputation, known and acknowledged among the coaches, for turning it up a notch when he faces an FBS team. And he might have played his greatest game against the Big 12 opponent Texas Tech, in their home stadium. Zappe's statistics against FBS opponents are actually better than his statistics against FCS opponents.
FBS 2020 (La Tech): 37 of 58 for 406 yards, 5 TD, 1 INT
FBS 2020 (Texas Tech): 30 of 49 for 567 yards, 4 TD, 0 INT
FBS 2020 (North Texas): 39 of 62 for 480 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT
FBS 2019 (UTEP): 27 of 37 for 300 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT
FBS 2018 (SMU): 27 of 49 for 226 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT
FBS 2017 (Texas State): 21 of 34 for 199 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT
Total FBS: 181 of 289 for 2,178 yards, 16 TD, 2 INT (101 Passer Rating)
Total FCS: 569 of 922 for 6,288 yards, 57 TD, 27 INT (90 Passer Rating)
Zappe only had one offer coming out of High School...to HBU. Has his degree in marketing, working on his Masters.
“First thing that I noticed about Bailey was not his arm strength or anything, but just how smart he is,” HBU receiver Jerreth Sterns said. “He’s just real smart and it was like separating from all the other quarterbacks – he knows the checks to make, knows the defense they’re in. That’s when I realized he was going to be something serious.”
“I don’t limit anything for him, he can handle anything that I ask of him to handle,” Kittley said. “He gets the script, he takes it home, he studies it to where on Saturdays, I might be signaling in a play and I’m halfway through and he already knows.”
By this point in his career, Shealy estimates that Zappe calls almost two-thirds of the plays just with his pre-snap checks and changes at the line, a staple of the most effective air raid systems. Uncoincidentally, the offense also jumped nearly 200 yards per game en route to becoming one of the nation’s best.
“Bailey is very much a coach on the field and I think he’s able to take our scheme and it fits him because it allows him to be the driving machine behind it all,” Shealy said.
While college football might be overlooking Zappe, the next level is not. NFL scouts from the Raiders, Packers and Seahawks have already started doing their due-diligence – and those are three franchises that know something about quarterbacks.
However, his best endorsement might be from Kittley, who came to Houston Baptist after working closely with NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes and Davis Webb at Texas Tech. He knows what professional quarterbacks look like.
“He can do it all,” Kittley said. “He’s light on his feet, he’s got great pocket awareness, and really just being able to see him operate an offense...there’s zero doubt in my mind that Bailey Zappe is going to be an NFL guy.”
Here's the shorthand on Bailey Zappe:
- Every throw. Pull the string, drop it into zone, moon ball, heater, quick hit, tight window, sidearm, awkward angle on the run. Every throw is on the tape.
- Consistent history of turning it up against FBS opponents, leading to a phenomenal performance against Texas Tech in their own house in 2020.
- His coach is a Kingsbury protege who coached Mahomes, Webb, and Mayfield.
- He doesn't quite have the quick feet of Jimmy Garoppolo, but a Tony Romo comparison would not be far out of line.
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