Five Days to Miami football: N’Kosi Perry 2018 preview

After losing the battle to start at quarterback in 2017, N’Kosi Perry took a redshirt season as a Freshman on the Miami football team. This season Perry is competing with fellow Redshirt Freshman Cade Weldon to backup Malik Rosier.

Perry is one of the biggest recruits in Mark Richt’s three classes as the Head Coach of the Miami football program. Perry was the 199th ranked player, seventh best dual-threat quarterback and 30th best player in Florida in the Class of 2017 per the 247 Sports Composite.

The majority of the Miami fan base wanted Perry to win the quarterback job in 2017. Many wanted Perry to surpass Rosier to become the starter this season.

With a season under his belt as the starter and entering his fifth season on campus Rosier was named the 2018 starting quarterback by Richt at the ACC Kickoff in July. It was a huge longshot for Perry to surpass Rosier on the depth chart.

Perry and Weldon received a strong challenge from True Freshman Jarren Williams to be Rosier’s backup. Rosier announced ahead of the LSU game that his prized Freshman is not ready yet to command the Hurricanes offense. Williams could be the future beginning in 2019.

Richt discussed the backup quarterbacks during his weekly appearance on the Joe Rose show on WQAM on Monday,

"“I’ll narrow it down to Weldon and N’Kosi right now,…Jarren Williams is really making a lot of progress, but he is a true freshman. I don’t think he’s quite ready for this moment. But when his day comes, he’s going to be special, I’ll tell you that. But right now it would be considered a tight race between Weldon and N’Kosi."

Like Rosier, Perry struggles with accuracy. Rosier was nine-of-14 for 104 yards in the Spring game. Perry went 11-of-25 for 166 yards with one touchdown and one interception playing primarily against the second team defense. Rosier went against the first team defense.

There were a lot of complaints from Hurricanes faithful about the lack of accuracy from Rosier over the final three games last season. Rosier completed just 44.9 percent of his passes as the Miami football team lost to Pittsburgh, Clemson and Wisconsin to finish 2017.

If Perry is going to earn the starter’s job in 2019 he’ll have to improve his accuracy. Williams has often been praised for his accuracy. He went nine-of-14 for 107 yards with one touchdown in the Spring Game.

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Other than the experience has over Rosier, Perry’s tendency to be too predictable also played a role in not earning the starting quarterback role. Miami  Safeties Coach Ephraim Banda spoke to the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson earlier this month about Perry.

"“N’Kosi has tremendous arm strength and likes to throw the ball long [but] he has to learn to see our defense a little bit better…He has to see not only the coverages but move around in the pocket. The quarterbacks who are really good in our eyes can move in the pocket. N’Kosi has to do it a lot better, moving in the pocket.“When you are covering Jeff Thomas and N’Kosi is in the game, you know it’s going to be a deep ball. That was Gil Frierson’s interception in the spring game."

Miami Offensive Coordinator Thomas Brown also spoke with Jackson about Perry.

"“(Perry has to be) able to process the entire offense. He’s got phenomenal arm talent and a really good skill set; the more you have confidence what you’re doing, the better off you’re going to be.”"

All three of the Hurricanes backup quarterbacks will likely get a chance to play at some point in 2018. Williams can play in four games without burning his redshirt. That’s a new rule from the NCAA that Perry and Weldon did not have available to them last season.

How well each of them plays in a game situation this season will give Richt and the Miami Offensive Coaching staff an idea how the players respond in a real game situation. In 2018 baring an injury or complete collapse like Rosier had against Pittsburgh, Perry, Weldon and Williams are unlikely to see many snaps.