Straight to the Pros — Nic Kiekover

A weekly feature in which we spotlight a player from the West Michigan area, comparing him to his NFL or major NCAA counterpart based on his playing style, talent (relative, of course), appearance or anything else that warrants a comparison.

Nic Kiekover (Holland Christian) — Tate Forcier

• Spirit animal — Gallus gallus domesticus

After a history of producing quality NFL running backs one after another, a virtual pipeline for backfield talent to the NFL, the University of Miami (FL) has developed a nickname.  They call the Hurricanes “Tailback U.”  Holland Christian may not be on quite the same level as Miami, but after producing three consecutive all-star quarterbacks (three and a half if you count ex-Maroon, current-Tigers QB/WR Willie Snead IV), it may be time for a new nickname for the Maroons: “Quarterback High.”

The pedigree is legit.  The past two signal callers to don the maroon and white now lace up NCAA Division-1 cleats (Kirk Cousins, now tearing up the Big-10 for MSU; A.J. Westendorp, busting his chops for CMU).  Current Maroons quarterback Nic Kiekover is the next in line, and he is representing his legacy well.  With a very particular combination of speed, skills and football savvy — the amalgamation of which calls for comparisons to University of Michigan quarterback Tate Forcier — Kiekover could very well claim his own scholarship soon.

Kiekover has an accurate short-to-intermediate passing game, and an impeccable sense of timing and understanding of his receivers’ routes.  Even in the driving rain, as he was in the Maroons’ Round-1 victory over Spring Lake (sideways rain, no less), Kiekover picks apart the defensive secondary with precision.  However, like many young quarterbacks his accuracy decreases in inverse proportion to the distance of his pass, so Kiekover isn’t the type of quarterback you’ll see throwing streak routes on a regular basis (even though some may say he has the arm).

Kiekover is as undersized in comparison to his high school opponents as Forcier is to his Big-10 opponents, so he’s not breaking many tackles. He also doesn’t have the lightning quickness of the most athletic quarterbacks.  Even so, Kiekover is a threat to scramble at any time because he has just enough zuzu to make defenders swing and miss, and speed to pick up yardage in chunks.  But while many quarterbacks with elite speed look to tuck the ball and run as option-1B after merely a cursory look downfield, Kiekover is always looking to get rid of the ball — and the Maroons are better for it.  Like Forcier, he uses his speed and agility more to buy his receivers time to get open than to pick up yardage.

Kiekover’s defining characteristic is what really prompted the comparison to the U-M phenom.  It is not his ability to pick apart defenses with the pass, nor is it his propensity for picking up crucial third-down yardage on the ground.  What makes Kiekover truly fun to watch is his ability to buy time with his legs.  Your traditional pocket-passing quarterback has about 3-seconds to get rid of the ball before defenders are on top of him and he gets sacked.  Same thing goes in Kiekover’s case.  Except that three jukes, a stiff-arm and a reversal of field later, and it might be 10-12 seconds before he eventually completes a pass to an open receiver.  It’s an invaluable ability, and one that translates particularly well to the collegiate ranks, especially given the collegiate offensive schemes at “Quarterback High.”

Being the Maroons’ quarterback is a heavy mantle to carry.  Even at 5-foot-9 and 160-pounds, Kiekover’s proven himself up to the task.  He’ll tell you the same, if you can catch him.

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