What QB Bubba Chandler commit to Clemson means for Miami football

The commitment of three-star quarterback Bubba Chandler to Clemson is another Miami football prospect in the class of 2021 at the position the Hurricanes missed out on.

The decision by three-star quarterback Bubba Chandler to commit to Clemson is another prospect at the position the Miami football program missed out on. The Hurricanes have seen several quarterbacks in the 2021 recruiting cycle commit to other programs this spring. What does that mean for Miami going forward?

Signing at QB in the 2021 class for Miami should be a priority. The Hurricanes project to have four QBs on the roster in 2021 as currently situated. Rising redshirt 2020 juniors Tate Martell and N’Kosi Perry could both decide to seek a situation with guaranteed playing time for their final season of eligibility in 2021.

Martell, Perry, Peyton Matocha who will be a redshirt sophomore in 2021 and incoming freshman Tyler VanDyke who is likely to redshirt in 2020 are the four QBs currently on the Miami football roster who will have remaining eligibility in 2021. The expectation would be for all four to compete to be the starter in 2021.

The majority of projections in 2021 expect VanDyke to win that battle. Perry would be by far the most experienced QB on the Miami roster entering the 2021 season as things stand now. Perry has played in 19 games and started nine in two seasons of playing time with the Hurricanes in 2020 and ’21.

The possibility for Miami to enter the transfer portal and sign a QB in 2021 for the third season in a row is high. Miami could decide to give Van Dyke one more year to learn after likely sitting in 2020. VanDyke could be the backup to Perry, Martell, or whomever the Hurricanes would decide to add as a transfer at QB in 2021.

What are the options at QB for Miami in 2021 Class?

There are still options left in the 2021 recruiting class, but the majority of QBs in the current recruiting cycle are already committed elsewhere. There is always the potential for someone to emerge at QB and quickly become a prospect as Chandler did or for one of the current commits elsewhere to flip to Miami.

After the 2017 season which Miami finished 10-3 the Hurricanes were able to flip Jarren Williams from Kentucky. Williams redshirted in 2018 and started in 10 of the 12 games he played in 2019. Perry started in place of an injured Williams in Miami’s 17-9 victory over Virginia in October last season.

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Martell, Perry and Williams all played in the Independence Bowl loss to Louisiana Tech last season. Steadying the QB position for Miami is critical for the future. It might take starting D’Eriq King in 2020 and going to the transfer portal again for a QB in 2021. Martell signed as a transfer from Ohio State in 2019.

Miami is still recruiting several QBs who have committed to other schools. Garrett Nussmeier is the 13th ranked QB for 2021 and a hard commit to LSU earlier this month. New Miami offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee had a prior relationship with Nussmeier when he was at SMU.

Nussmeier’s father Doug is a former NFL QB and current QB coach with the Dallas Cowboys. Barring a drastic shift in his thought process, flipping Nussmeier from the defending national champions is extremely unlikely for Miami. Jalen Milroe who is a Texas commit could be a player to watch.

Milroe is from Houston and played for the same seven on seven team that King played for. King and Milroe reportedly have a relationship, but it is not known how close they are. Miami is also recruiting four-star QB, Miller Moss. Moss narrowed his final four teams to Alabama, LSU and hometown teams UCLA and USC.

Moss has not made a commitment yet. Miami has offered 18 scholarships to QBs in the 2021 recruiting cycle and Moss is the only uncommitted QB in that group. Chandler emerged quickly after de-committing as a baseball player from Georgia. Based on how the 2020 Miami football season goes someone else could emerge.