Move over Joe Burrow, Bailey Zappe is the new college passing king. The Western Kentucky QB passed for 422yds and 6TDs as the Hilltoppers beat Appalachian State 59-38 in the Boca Raton Bowl Saturday.
With the bowl victory, Zappe set the new FBS marks for passing yards with 5,977 and 62TDs on the year. With the win over the Mountaineers, Zappe broke Texas Tech QB BJ Symons 18 year old passing record, and Joe Burrow’s TD mark, which he set when the Tigers won the National Championship. Zappe accomplished the TD feat in one less game to boot.
The graduate student signal caller was in his first year with the Hilltoppers after spending 4 years with Houston Baptist. The 22 year old followed HBU offensive coordinator Zach Kittley to WKU and was named their 2021 starter. In his first game under centre he threw for 424 yards and 7TDs against Tennessee-Martin.
Despite the prolific passing totals, the 6’1” native of Victoria, Texas projects to be a late round selection on NFL draft day, with some sources comparing him to Taylor Heinicke. While he’s far from a lock to hear his name called, let alone make an NFL roster, Zappe does happen to be on the Toronto Argonaut negotiation list in the CFL. Should he not crack an NFL roster or practice squad, you could see him taking snaps north of the border in 2022.