After a stint at the University of North Carolina, a “humbling” experience at a Kansas community college and a season at wide receiver for the Cyclones, Terrance Highsmith is back where he feels most comfortable — in the pocket.

Highsmith is returning to a position that comes natural to him, he said — a position he’s been playing since his Pop Warner days.

“I always liked to lead,” Highsmith said. “I like to run my mouth, so I figured quarterback would be a good position for me.”

Football hasn’t always been Highsmith’s only sport. After passing for more than 2,000 yards and 27 touchdowns at Highland Park High School in Highland Park, N.J., Highsmith headed to North Carolina with the plan of being a two-sport athlete.

“I went to North Carolina with the intention of playing basketball,” he said. “That was part of the agreement why I signed with North Carolina out of high school. I redshirted my first year, and I knew the chances of me playing there were slim to none.”

With that in mind, Highsmith transferred to Fort Scott Community College in Fort Scott, Kan., where he played quarterback, punter, receiver and kickoff returner.

“I played everything they needed me to play,” he said.

The difference in facilities, among other things, was something Highsmith said he had to adapt to.

“As far as being used to Division I and your transition from staying in nice facilities and having the best food and everything, and then you go there, it humbles you as a person to be very appreciative of everything you get,” he said. “Coming to Iowa State it’s like going from the best, to the worst and back to the best again.”

ISU football coach Dan McCarney said Highsmith is experiencing inconsistency in the pocket, but that can be expected after only five spring practices and a season without throwing the ball.

“[Highsmith] is real hungry to learn,” McCarney said. “He’s excited about the move; he’s excited about playing quarterback again.”

Part of the hunger driving Highsmith are the expectations he puts on himself.

“I’m not throwing as well as I’d like to be throwing, but I’m trying to learn and get better every day,” Highsmith said. “Everyone else says I’m doing better than what I think I’m doing, but I have high expectations for myself. I think I’m too hard on myself. I get too stuck on trying to be perfect.”

Highsmith said learning the plays aren’t a problem; it’s getting down the protection and the schemes of the offense as a whole.

“As a receiver, you only get bits and pieces of the information,” he said. “As a quarterback, you have to know what everybody does on the field.”

With last season’s backup quarterback, Austin Flynn, moving to the wide receiver corps, McCarney said he is pleased with the position changes implemented in spring practice.

“I hope we can leave [Highsmith] there,” he said. “I hope this is a move that we can continue to see performance improvement and leave him there for next fall. I really liked the move when we did it … I thought it was best for those kids on the team, and, hopefully, they’ll prove me right.”