Former Miami quarterback D'Eriq King surprised college football in 2019 when he chose to redshirt four games into the season. UNLV QB Matthew Sluka is doing the same three games into the 2024 season. The difference between the two is the advent of Name, Image and Likeness deals in 2021.
King chose to redshirt in 2019 to enter the transfer portal after Houston began the 2019 season 1-3. King had a scintillating career at Houston finishing in the top 10 in multiple all-time and single-season categories. Before becoming the full-time Houston QB, King even returned a kickoff for a touchdown.
Sluka transferred to UNLV after four seasons at Holy Cross. UNLV has started the 2024 season 3-0 and is ranked 23rd in the AFCA Coaches Poll. The Rebels have wins over ironically Houston in the season opener, Utah Tech and Kansas. The wins over two Big XII teams put Houston in position for a College Football Playoff berth.
Sluka stated on social media that he entered the transfer portal because UNLV did not live up to NIL commitments. UNLV released its own statement distancing itself from Sluka. Sluka and his family alleged that UNLV promised him $100,000 and only provided him $3,000 in relocation expenses per Pete Thamel of ESPN
The closest comparison I can make to this was a healthy D'Eriq King redshirting at Houston after his team's rough start in 2019. Obviously, this is a different time with different factors https://t.co/Rm1SNg9IUr
— Matt Baker (@MBakerTBTimes) September 25, 2024
King was electric in his one full season for Miami. During the 2020 Covid season, King completed 64.1 percent of his pass attempts for 2,686 yards, 23 touchdowns and five interceptions while running for 538 yards and another four scores. Miami spent five weeks in the top 10 in 2020 before finishing 8-3 and ranked 22nd in the final poll.
Like King, Sluka will seek a Power Conference program to play for in 2025. Sluka is more of a run-first QB. In three games for UNLV in 2024, Sluka completed 43.8 percent of his pass attempts for 318 yards, six TDs and one interception with 253 rushing yards and another score.