There will be no quarterback controversy this coming spring in Coral Gables, Florida.
D’Eriq King is taking his talents to the University of Miami for his fifth and final season of college eligibility.
King is a graduate transfer, immediately making him eligible to play in the 2020 season.
King’s decision comes in time for him to enroll at Miami for the spring semester. This allows King to participate in spring football practices.
The Hurricanes offense was ugly at times last season, however, is continuing a face-lift. King immediately becomes the favorite to start at quarterback for the Hurricanes in new coordinator Rhett Lashlee’s up-tempo, spread offense.
Lashlee, bring’s his talents and offensive scheme from Southern Methodist. Last year at SMU, Lashlee led an offense that ranked No. 7 in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) in scoring (41.8 points per game), No. 9 in total offense (489.8 yards per game). The Mustangs were ranked No—three nationally in plays per game, averaging 80.9.
King brings a highlight reel of a resume to Coral Gables.
His 50 touchdowns in 2018 broke an American Athletic Conference (AAC) record for touchdowns responsible for in a season. He comes to UM with an active FBS-record streak of 15 consecutive games with both a passing and rushing touchdown. He was established in the final game he played at Houston against Tulane in which he surpassed Tim Tebow’s previous mark of 14 last September.
Though he is the favorite to be the starter, there is a logjam at the quarterback position.
Jarren Williams started ten games last season and would be a redshirt sophomore in the upcoming fall. N’Kosi Perry, a rising redshirt junior, started the other three games last season and got six starts as a redshirt freshman in 2018. Tate Martell would also be a redshirt junior after he barely saw any playing time with Miami since transferring in from Ohio State last offseason, but Martell gets the buzz consistently.
Peyton Matocha would be a redshirt freshman next season, and Tyler Van Dyke is the four-star true freshman quarterback in UM’s 2020 recruiting class.
King is the true experience leader this position group needs. Guidance for building the confidence back up of Williams, Perry, besides lead the understanding of a new offense.
It was a close call. Since entering the NCAA transfer portal, King had also been linked to Arkansas, LSU, Oregon, and Maryland.
In 2018 at Houston, the 5-foot-11, 195-pound playmaker accounted for 50 total touchdowns (36 passing, 14 rushing), completing 63.5 percent of passes, throwing for 2,982 yards and rushing for 674 more. After playing four games last season, in which King completed 52.7 percent of passes for 663 yards, six touchdowns and two interceptions while rushing for 312 yards and six more touchdowns, he shut himself down to remain eligible for a redshirt senior season.
It will be King’s job to lose.
Photo/D’Eriq King/twitter
