More information on Miami football quest to sign transfer QB D’Eriq King

Former Houston quarterback D’Eriq King has created a lot of buzz since entered the transfer portal on Monday night. The Miami football program has been one of the prominent names mentioned about where King could wind up playing in 2020.

The poorly kept secret of the work habits or lack thereof on the Miami football team and particularly the quarterback room blew up last week with a report by Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald that several Hurricanes have been more concerned with partying than focusing on football. Miami could elect to start over at QB.

When former Houston QB D’Eriq King entered his name in the transfer portal on Monday night while Clemson and LSU played for a national championship he instantly vaulted to the top of the list of available QBs looking for new schools. Every prominent discussion has mentioned Miami as a possible destination.

The stats by the Miami QBs in 2019 have been repeated ad infinitum. Rehashing the season from Jarren Williams, N’Kosi Perry and the one drive from Tate Martell in the Independence Bowl is looking backward. With the calendar flipped to 2020, it’s time to look ahead and what the future could be at QB for the Miami football program.

In a question and answer session on The Athletic, National College Football Writer Andy Staples was asked: “Where will D’Eriq King land?”  Staples wrote first about Oregon with Miami being mentioned second. The addition of new Miami offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee should help Miami’s potential to sign King.

"“Another interesting possibility is Miami. The Hurricanes probably need to blow up their quarterback room to move forward, and a year of King might allow new coordinator Rhett Lashlee to do that while playing a QB whose skillset fits Lashlee’s offense quite well.The scheme, learned under Gus Malzahn, doesn’t require a great runner at quarterback — as evidenced by Shane Buechele’s excellent season in the offense last season at SMU — but it can be absolutely devastating when the QB is the threat to outrun the defense.King is no Cam Newton, but he’s a better thrower than Nick Marshall was.”"

Starting completely over at QB is subjective. There are pros and cons to both. Staples brings an outside perspective that might be needed by looking at what went wrong for Miami at QB in 2019. Williams showed potential last season that he has the ability to be a top-level QB in the ACC. His maturity has been questioned.

Williams did not start against Pittsburgh because he walked out of practice following a disagreement with former Miami offensive coordinator Dan Enos. King would bring a dynamic the Hurricanes desperately need at QB. The former Houston QB would also, hopefully, tutor and help mature the Miami QB room.