Miami football graduate transfers quarterback D’Eric King and defensive end Quincy Roche were named two of the top five “College football’s top impact transfers for 2020” by ESPN on Wednesday.
The signing of graduate transfers, quarterback D’Eriq King, defensive end Quincy Roche and kicker Jose Borregales are expected to have big impacts on the Miami football team in 2020. King and Roche were named two of the top five “College football’s top impact transfers for 2020″ by ESPN on Wednesday.
ESPN senior writer Adam Rittenberg ranked the players one through 10 “based on their ability and the situation they enter at their new programs.” King, Wake Forest to Georgia QB Jamie Newman and Stanford to Mississippi State QB K.J. Costello were the only three players to be graded as a nine in the impact they will have.
King was a prolific player in 2018 for Houston. The top dual-threat QB in the country redshirted in 2019 after playing the first four games. With the Cougars at 1-3, it was a lost season. The expectation at the time was that King would return for Houston in 2020. His decision to transfer to Miami changes the Hurricanes QB play.
King enters the 2020 season with an NCAA record 17 consecutive games with a touchdown passing and running. The combination of King and new offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee is anticipated to significantly upgrade the Miami offense this fall. King’s skills and Lashlee’s system bring a new dimension to the Hurricanes.
"Miami QB D’Eriq KingPrevious school: HoustonStatus: GraduateImpact rating: 9The Hurricanes’ offense bottomed out at the end of coach Manny Diaz’s first season, leading to a coordinator change (Dan Enos out, Rhett Lashlee in) and the addition of King. A Maxwell Award semifinalist in 2018, King made the controversial decision to shut down his 2019 season at Houston after four games despite no health issues.He initially planned to return to UH but instead moves up to a Power 5 program. King is a true dual-threat who accounted for 50 touchdowns and 3,656 yards of offense in 2018. He should thrive in Lashlee’s tempo-based system"
Roche was just a shade below King on the expected impact he will have on the Miami football team in 2020. The 2019 American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year will team with Greg Rousseau who leads all returnees in college football in 2020 with 15.5 sacks in 2019 and 2017 top recruit Jaelan Phillips.
Roche, Rousseau and Phillips should give Miami the best pass rush in the country in 2020 and a realistic opportunity to break the program record of 52 sacks set by the 1989 national championship team. The Hurricanes were seventh in the country in 2019 with 46 sacks. Deciding who to block will be difficult for Miami opponents.
"Miami DE Quincy RochePrevious school: TempleStatus: GraduateImpact rating: 8Miami won the transfer portal for the second consecutive winter, adding potential game-changers on both sides of the ball. Roche won AAC defensive player of the year honors in 2019, recording 13 sacks (fifth in the FBS) and 19 tackles for loss, boosting his career totals to 26 sacks and 39.5 tackles for loss.He now forms the nation’s best pass-rushing tandem with sophomore Gregory Rousseau, who had 15.5 sacks and 19.5 tackles for loss during a breakout 2019 season."
Phillips is often overlooked by the national media when examining the pass rush for the Miami football team. The top recruit in the country in 2017 at UCLA transferred to Miami in 2019. Phillips looked good in the four spring practices Miami had during the first week of March. Some observers reported Phillips moving better than Rousseau.
Having three elite pass rushers will help the rest of the Miami defense. The secondary should especially benefit with far less time to throw than most QBs are used to. Roche has a chance to be the best transfer on defense the Miami football program has had in recent memory. Miami will be fun to watch on both sides of the football.