Miami Hurricanes backup QB has to be N’Kosi Perry

While the Miami Hurricanes coaching staff has yet to name the backup quarterback to D’Eriq King the vast likelihood is that N’Kosi Perry has always had that slot locked down.

D’Eriq King being named the starting quarterback for the Miami Hurricanes a few weeks ago was expected. The same expectation should be afforded for N’Kosi Perry as the second team QB. Offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee told the Joe Rose Show on Monday morning that a decision on the second-team QB has not been made.

Perry is by far the second most experienced QB on the Miami roster behind King. In two seasons on the active roster after redshirting as a true freshman in 2017, Perry has played in 19 games and started nine. Perry has completed 52.0 percent of his passes for 2,136 yards, 21 touchdowns and nine interceptions in his Miami career.

Perry also has 213 rushing yards and three TDs as a Hurricane. Tate Martell is the only other Miami QB with experience on the Hurricanes roster. Martell completed his only pass attempt for seven yards in 2019 and ran seven times for seven yards. Martell also gained experience as a redshirt freshman at Ohio State in 2019.

Neither Perry nor Martell will provide the dual-threat that King is at QB. Perry has the arm strength and gives Miami the best size of the three by at 6’2. His lack of accuracy has hindered Perry throughout his career and he is not nearly the runner that either King or Martell are. Martell has not come close to living up to his recruiting rankings.

"“N’Kosi Perry has been solid. He’s a guy who has played a lot of ball. Tyler took a really nice step in the second scrimmage. You look at a young guy in scrimmage one got his feet wet, did some good things, I saw a good jump in the second scrimmage, looked much more comfortable.And Peyton Matocha, Tate Martell, [walk-on] Ryan Rizk have made steps as well.”"

Redshirt freshman Peyton Matocha did not play in 2019 despite the ability to receive time in up to four games and maintain his redshirt. Entering the 2020 season the expectation is that Matocha will be the fifth QB on the Miami depth chart. King, Perry and then Martell or Van Dyke followed by Matocha in that order.

The way that Lashlee spoke about the QBs appears that Van Dyke is the third-team QB entering the season. That is staggering after the hype surrounding Martell when he arrived in Coral Gables in January 2019. If the Miami Hurricanes have to go past Perry for a QB in 2020 the season would very much be in peril.