The Miami athletic department issued a press release on Thursday to announce that quarterback D’Eriq King will have surgery to repair a torn ACL and is expected back for the 2021 season opener.
Miami Hurricanes quarterback D’Eriq King tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, will have surgery to repair it and is expected to return for the 2021 season opener against Alabama in September. The eight-month timetable seems overly optimistic but recovery time has improved for ACL surgery.
D’Eriq King suffered the injury on Tuesday during the 37-34 Cheez-it Bowl loss to Oklahoma State. During a scamble to the right, King planted his knee, was tackled and the ACL was torn sometime during that process. Miami was trailing 21-7 at the time of the King injury. Redshirt junior N’Kosi Perry relieved King.
A specific timetable will not be determined until after the surgery. When King will have the surgery to be conducted at the UHealth Sports Medicine Institute at the Lennar Foundation Medical Center has not been announced. The torn ACL is the second injury for King on his right knee after tearing and MCL in 2018 with Houston.
The torn MCL caused King to miss the Cougars final two games of the 2018 season. King returned for the first four games of the 2019 season before sitting out the remainder of the year due to non-injury related reasons. King transferred to Miami in January 2020. An MCL tear is not as significant as an ACL tear.
We'll be with you every step of the way, @DeriqKing_. pic.twitter.com/nnIroivU5V
— Miami Hurricanes Football (@CanesFootball) December 31, 2020
King is expected to return for the 2021 season opener in September. The Hurricanes begin the 2021 season in Atlanta against current top-ranked Alabama. King has not seemed to have any lingering effects from his torn MCL. Among QBs who have returned from torn ACLs are Tom Brady and Deshaun Watson.
Modern medicine has quickened timeline for recovery from torn ACL. In 2010, average recovery time for NFL players was 10.8 months, according to Richmond Bone and Joint Clinic. In 2014, the average recovery time was 10 months, according to Bleacher Report study of 24 NFL players https://t.co/dhisnXc3NG
— Barry Jackson (@flasportsbuzz) December 31, 2020
Without a preseason King will face the daunting task of having to test a surgically repaired ACL in the season opener against the most preeminent program in college football. Miami also has challenging games against Appalachian State and Michigan State before hosting Central Connecticut State on September 25.
A more ideal schedule would be to host the Blue Devils to open the season and play the Mountaineers, Spartans and Crimson Tide in that order. Perry also has a decision to make whether or not to return to Miami or seek another program where he can start. Perry has two seasons of eligibility remaining.