Heaps threw for more yards as a freshman than Nelson did in either his junior or senior year.

Nelson threw just as many interceptions as touchdowns his senior year.

Of course, Nelson was a better rushing threat, but I don’t think he ever scared anyone as a passer, whereas I think defenses always worried about Heaps’s passing abilities.

If I had to rank the seasons of Nelson and Heaps, it’s probably a toss-up between Nelson’s junior year and Heaps’s freshman season. But Nelson’s senior year was below average.

Heaps’s freshman year was comparable to Taysom Hill’s first full season with BYU. The potential was evident and there was reason to get excited. It’s sad that he dropped off so quickly, but Nelson never gave us an aura or hope of being a special quarterback.