Miami Hurricanes quarterback battle remains complicated

The battle to be the Miami Hurricanes starting quarterback remains complicated. Depending on who you listen to and what the determination is who the starter will be the Miami QB is still to be determined with less than two weeks until the opener against Florida.

Miami Hurricanes head coach Manny Diaz has made it clear what he and offensive coordinator Dan Enos are looking for in a starting quarterback. Diaz and Enos are looking for a signal-caller who avoids critical errors and makes good decisions. They also want a QB who understands what play Enos is calling within the Miami offense.

The Miami QB needs to understand what the defense is doing, is accurate and has the potential to make something special happen when a play breaks down. The three QBs battling to be the Hurricanes starter, Tate Martell, Jarren Williams and N’Kosi Perry each possess some but not all of the characteristics Diaz and Enos are looking for.

Martell is the QB most likely to avoid critical errors, make the best decisions and create something special when a play breaks down. Williams has the best upside and is the most accurate passer on the Miami Hurricanes roster. Perry is more likely than Williams to make something special happen and has the biggest arm.

Diaz elaborated last week about what they are looking for in a starting QB. Enos and Diaz are going to have to choose which of the attributes are most important when the choose a starter. The likelihood will be whichever QB makes the fewest mistakes, best decisions and can make something special happen will be the starter.

"“What’s been great about the way Dan Enos has been mentoring all those guys is No. 1, who can avoid the critical errors? That guy touches the ball on every play, so that guy has the greatest chance to lose your team a game if he makes some crazy thing happen. Then it comes down to decision-making.“The great thing in this offense is that there’s going to be an outlet for the quarterback. Do you understand what we have called? Do you see what the defense is doing and understand where the ball should go? There’s always somewhere the ball goes. And finally, do you have the accuracy to get it there?One, avoid the critical errors,two, make the decisions and…(three) then have the accuracy to get the ball there. We’ve got guys. We don’t need a guy to wear a cape. Just, let the ball go to the guy that’s available.The fourth X-factor to that is, can you, when given the opportunity if needed, make something special happen?A guy that can do that, but is not as consistent in terms of decision-making, accuracy and also has the tendency to, like I say, burn the house down, that doesn’t compensate…The way you win is you make yourself really, really hard to beat. Let’s be hard to beat.”"

The level of play from the Miami offense during Saturday’s second scrimmage was according to Diaz “uneven.” He called the dominance by the Hurricanes defense over their offense “a butt whipping.”

Diaz and Enos had stated that they wanted to choose a starter following the second scrimmage. Diaz did not say if that would still be the case after Saturday’s night’s performance by the Miami QBs and the Hurricanes offense.

The Hurricanes head coach spoke to Miami play-by-play announcer Joe Zagacki following the scrimmage. He said that he wants to watch the film before making a judgment of the QBs. All three contenders to start at QB led Miami to touchdown drives in the second half. Williams is the only one Diaz mentioned by name.

"“It was hard for those guys to function and part of that was their own doing as well. I did see some guys lead some good touchdown drives in the second half. I think Jarren hit one to Will Mallory. I know we had one to K.J. Osborn at the end.”"

Martell has been the most erratic passer of the three dating back to spring practice. He also has the intangibles that Diaz and Enos are looking for at QB. It is easy to read between the lines and conclude that Martell is the leader to be the starter. It will all depend on how much Diaz and Enos hold to the factors they want in a starter.

There is a strong possibility that the starter will be or has been decided and Diaz and Enos will keep the decision private until as close to the season opener against Florida as possible. It would be an extremely difficult decision to withhold. Someone would catch on to who would be taking the majority of first-team snaps in practice.