Miami football has higher ranked QB in season opener versus Alabama

The Miami football team has a difficult task opening the season against Alabama. Miami is expected to have an advantage over Alabama at quarterback. The Sporting News ranks Miami QB D’Eriq King as the eighth-best at the position entering the 2021 season. Alabama QB Bryce Young is ranked 11th.

King is entering his sixth season of college football. Young is entering his second but was the backup to Heisman Trophy Finalist and New England Patriots first-round pick Mac Jones during the 2020 season. King has become a college football star. Young was a five-star signee with Alabama in 2020 now getting his chance.

The return of King in the second year under offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee has high expectations set for the Miami offense. King and Lashlee are both getting the chance to work together for a second straight season, a first for both with QB and OC during their careers. The Miami offense will benefit.

The Miami football team added former Oklahoma wide receiver, Charleston Rambo, as a transfer during the offseason. Rambo should provide Miami with a consistent deep threat in the passing game they did not have last season. Big plays will be critical for Miami to score on an Alabama defense not likely to allow long drives.

"#8 D’Eriq King, MiamiKing emerged as the answer at quarterback for Miami last season. He meshed well with new offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee, especially early in the season. King finished with 2,686 passing yards, 538 rushing yards and 27 total TDs.That success was tempered by an untimely ACL injury in the Cheez-It Bowl loss to Oklahoma State. King is expected to make a full recovery before the opener against Alabama"

Young begins his tenure as Alabama’s starting QB with extremely high expectations. For all of the talent, Alabama has had during the Nick Saban era, Young enters as the highest-ranked QB. Young was second-ranked overall and the top-ranked dual threat-QB in the Class of 2020 when he flipped from USC to the Crimson Tide.

"#11 Bryce Young, AlabamaYoung has a tough act to follow after Mac Jones led Alabama to a national championship in 2020. Young played mostly in mop-up duty last season, and he averaged 7.1 yards per passing attempt with a 59.1 completion percentage.Improvements will need to be made, but new offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien and the same-old loaded supporting cast should lead to big numbers for Young."

Hiring O’Brien to replace Steve Sarkisian as offensive coordinator should continue to keep Alabama as an elite offense. Sarkisian was hired as the Texas head coach during the offseason. Alabama has had turnover on its coaching staff throughout the Saban era. The Crimson Tide cruises in openers under Saban.

The Crimson Tide has won season openers by an average of 25 points under Saban and by 23 against ranked teams. The Miami football team is going to need an exhilarating performance by King like he had in wins over North Carolina State and Virginia Tech last season to be competitive against Alabama. Young is an unknown.

Although he played well in limited snaps in 2020, being the starter will be a new experience for Young. Based on the history for Alabama QBs and the talent Young possesses he should be productive. The most extensive playing time for Young was 5-8 for 62 yards and two carries for four yards against Missouri.