Miami officially has a starting quarterback.
Manny Diaz and the school announced Monday that the transfer of Houston graduates D’Eriq King He will be the quarterback that begins the hurricanes for the 2020 season.
“D’Eriq’s hard work both on and off the field has earned him the position of starting quarterback,” Diaz said in a statement. “His leadership qualities have been evident since he arrived on campus, continuing with drills, spring practices, our virtual meetings and summer activities. We are excited to see him lead this offensive and I know that his teammates are also excited.”
King divided replays with N’Kosi Perry, Tate Martell, Tyler Van Dyke and Peyton Matocha during Miami’s four spring practices, but was widely regarded as the favorite to land the job after new UM offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee will talk about dynamic talent to use her final season. of eligibility in Coral Gables.
“The best thing about D’Eriq King is not that he’s an electric athlete or that he throws the ball better than most people think … he’s just a winner and a leader,” Lashlee said last week on 247Sports’ Social Distance ” Who he is as a leader will be more important to us than his ability. Now don’t get me wrong, his ability to play is pretty good and makes plays easier and also makes them much more correct. Just having a leading presence on the team. and the way he works, I think it starts with how he was raised by his late father and mother. He was raised the right way. They taught him how to work, how to compete and how to handle failure. I think it just shows who he is. I think the guys around him are positively influenced by him. They are attracted to him. That’s because of who he is, but it also helps when you’re really good at football. “
King appeared in just four games last season in Houston before choosing the red jersey to preserve a year of eligibility. Cougars head coach Dana Holgorsen told reporters after King announced his intentions to stay out as King planned to return to UH for a fifth season, but many believed King would eventually explore his options as many schools across the country would seek quarterback help. .
In 2018, King was one of the most productive quarterbacks in college football. He earned a 91.2 rating throughout the season from the folks at Pro Football Focus after completing 63.5 percent of his passes for 2,982 yards with 36 touchdowns and just six interceptions to his credit. That’s while averaging more than six yards per carry and adding 14 more scores on the ground. As a benchmark, PFF gave Jarren Williams, who started multiple games last season for the Hurricanes, a 59.8 rating for his game.
As a recruit, King was the nation’s 396th prospect and the 16th athlete according to the 247Sports Composite. He had a decorated career at Manvel High School with over 13,000 yards of total offense and was offered by schools like Clemson, Baylor, Michigan State, TCU, and Washington.
With King as the starter, Perry believes he is the main backer. The red-shirted junior has appeared in 19 games in the past two seasons for Miami shooting for 2,136 yards with 21 touchdowns to go against nine interceptions. Martell, Van Dyke, and Matocha, on the other, will likely fight for role number 3 every time preseason camp begins. Martell, who also experimented with a wide receiver, is the only one in that trio who has taken a college snap.
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