Malik Rosier Likely to Be Miami Hurricanes Starter Week 1
Miami Hurricanes Head Coach Mark Richt has repeatedly emphasized throughout the offseason that what he is looking for in his starting quarterback is one that knows the offensive playbook, can read defenses well and take care of the football.
All of these traits plus a mobile quarterback who can give the Miami Hurricanes an added dimension offensively this season point towards Malik Rosier earning the starting quarterback nod. Miami is expected to utilize run pass options with the quarterback more often this season.
The Hurricanes will play two of their first three games on the road. Having an experienced and poised quarterback going into hostile environments will be vital to Miami’s success.
Rosier is the only quarterback on the Miami Hurricanes roster that has experience starting. He started in Miami’s improbable victory at Duke in 2015.
The Redshirt Junior from Mobile, Alabama went 20 of 29 for 272 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. The game was one of the most infamous in the history of college football.
Rosier had a rough outing the previous week against Clemson. He entered the game after Kaaya went out with a concussion. The same injury kept the Hurricanes former signal caller out the following week at Duke.
Rosier went seven of 22 for 42 yards and two interceptions. Rosier gives the Hurricanes a more mobile option that Sophomore Evan Sheriffs and more experience and knowledge of the playbook than Freshmen N’Kosi Perry and Cade Weldon.
Richt discussed the quarterback battle on Monday.
"“If I had to do it today, it would be an older guy right now – one of the two veterans…The two older guys, they really did a nice job with their decision making…Because they knew where to go with the ball, when to go with it, they were more accurate.”"
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Perry and Weldon are still struggling with consistency and learning the playbook. Discussing his younger quarterbacks Richt said:
"“The younger guys were a little more confused at times…The last interception N’Kosi threw, it’s probably my fault…but I ran a play that we walked through in the gym twice and we covered two different meetings, but it had never been repped by any of the guys, let alone a freshman…I probably put him in a bad situation there, of running a play that would have worked if he reacted properly, but there’s not enough reps of the play to be doing that.”"
The quarterback race almost definitely seems to be narrowed down to Rosier and Sheriffs.
Richt discussed the situation after practice and said related to when he might make a decision:
"“They’re both playing like veterans right now. I’ll let you all know when it’s time.”"
Rosier’s strength is the experience he primarily gained two years ago and his superior athleticism. Sheriffs has been praised for being better able to read defenses and having a better grasp of the playbook.
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What Rosier ran two years ago under former coaches Al Golden and Larry Scott are different than Richt and Offensive Coordinator Thomas Brown’s offenses.