LINCOLN, Neb.—Word has gotten back to Joe Ganz that some of his old Nebraska teammates think Zac Lee is faster than him and has a stronger arm.
No way, Ganz says with a laugh.
Ganz still thinks Lee is going to be pretty darned good as the Cornhuskers’ quarterback.
In fact, Ganz said Monday he knew last year that Lee, though No. 3 on the depth chart, would be the starter in 2009.
“I could tell by the way Zac carried himself and the way guys responded to him, and the talent he has,” Ganz said. “My gut feeling was that it would be his show.”
Lee is ready for the show to begin. If he’s antsy, who can blame him? He played last season behind Ganz and Patrick Witt, who transferred in January, and he threw a total of two passes over two mop-up appearances.
“It’s been 2 1/2 years since I got here, and I’ve been working toward this,” Lee said. “I’m excited about it, and I feel prepared.”
Lee had better be. Barring a major surprise in preseason practice, he’ll be in charge of the offense for the team favored to win the Big 12 North.
The 6-foot-2, 215-pound junior isn’t necessarily the reason why the Huskers are the North’s team of choice. The marquee player is Ndamukong Suh, a nose tackle, and a lot will be asked of running backs Roy Helu Jr. and Quentin Castille as Lee gets his feet under him.
If star status goes along with being a quarterback at Nebraska, Lee is yet to achieve it.
He walked around Memorial Stadium at times unnoticed during the team’s annual meet-and-greet with fans over the weekend.
“I didn’t get quite the reception that I’ve seen guys in the past get,” he said. “I wouldn’t say I was anonymous. It’s nice to fly under the radar as long as possible.”
Folks surely will get to know him a lot better in coming weeks, right?
“Hopefully,” he said. “That’s the plan.”
Lee was recruited by former coach Bill Callahan, arriving in January 2007 from his hometown San Francisco City College. He sat out the 2007 season as a redshirt but drew notice as the most valuable player on the offensive scout team.
Last season he was on the field for Nebraska’s final series in a 38-7 win over New Mexico State, completing 1 of 2 passes for 5 yards. He entered the 56-28 win at Kansas State on the Huskers’ second-to-last possession, running twice for 17 yards while leading a four-play, 51-yard drive that resulted in the game’s last touchdown.
The son of former NFL quarterback Bob Lee, Zac was ranked as the nation’s top junior-college quarterback by Rivals.com, Scout.com and SuperPrep magazine in 2006. Oklahoma, Fresno State and Mississippi State were among schools that showed interest in Lee before he signed with Nebraska.
Ganz said Lee has developed a good understanding of offensive coordinator Shawn Watson’s multiple system.
“I think he can have a great year,” Ganz said. “It’s about how everybody around him is going to play and how are they going to respond to him as a leader. The biggest thing you can have as a quarterback is having your team wanting to play for you. Zac has that.”
Ganz said Lee will have to rely on the players around him.
“I hope he realizes he doesn’t have to put it all on his shoulders,” Ganz said. “There are times when he’s going to have to, but not every game, not every play.”
Helu said Lee established himself as the offense’s leader during summer conditioning and seven-on-seven passing exercises.
“Zac has been absolutely phenomenal with taking shots down the field this summer, and he has an explosive arm,” Helu said. “The deep threat is there a lot more than it was last season.”
There also is talk around preseason camp that Lee’s running ability will be put to use, perhaps featured in some triple-option plays. Castille, the running back, has admitted that Lee beat him in a few running drills in the offseason.
Ganz, of course, wishes Lee the best. But he can’t help but respond to all his old teammates’ banter about Lee’s speed and strong arm.
“I’ve got game speed,” Ganz said, laughing. “He might run a faster 40, but we gave him a hard time in the Kansas State game last year when he tried to run. It looked like he was about a 5.3. He’s not a 4.4 kid who is going to pull away like (Ohio State’s) Terrell Pryor.”
And about the arm strength?
“I’ll tell those guys it’s not all about going downfield. Check the record book,” said Ganz, who holds school records for season and single-game passing yards.
Lee said he learned a lot from Ganz, and he isn’t surprised Ganz is defending himself.
“That’s what made Joe a good quarterback. He’s a confident guy, kind of a little cocky,” Lee said. “He had a pretty good opinion of himself, so I would expect nothing less from Joe.”
