Miami QB D’Eriq King, regardless of height, ready to motor. ‘Been working my butt off’
University of Miami starting quarterback D’Eriq King, otherwise known as QB1, is primed to show his elite talent — no matter how tall or short he measures.
The Hurricanes list the Houston graduate transfer as 5-11 and 202 pounds. But college rosters tend to add an inch or two before everything is eventually settled — if the player is as prolific as King — at the NFL Scouting Combine after the season.
King, who agreed with WQAM radio host Joe Rose on Friday that he is on “a little bit of a mission’’ to show he can thrive as a future quarterback, is taking any height talk in stride as he prepares for his first season with the Miami Hurricanes.
“Yeah, for sure,’’ King told Rose just hours before training camp was to open Friday night. “I don’t take that as a negative when guys say, ‘Oh, he’s an elite athlete. He might have to play receiver in the pros.’ I’m a quarterback. I want to play quarterback at the next level if it allows me to. I think everybody has something to prove and I definitely think I have something to prove, too.’’
King spoke publicly for the first time since being named the Hurricanes starter July 27.
No surprise
“I wouldn’t say I was surprised,’’ King told WQAM regarding the timing of the announcement. “I’ve been working my butt off since spring and all offseason. I’m just grateful for the opportunity. I didn’t know when they were going to do it — during camp, after camp, before camp. I’m just grateful and ready for what’s coming.’’
UM coach Manny Diaz told reporters in a Zoom video conference Thursday that it “would be unfair” to call the naming of King as starter, which everyone expected, “a formality.’’
“That would diminish his efforts,’’ Diaz said. “We felt like when we got into the walk-through period, and right now ultimately with training camp, we needed someone for our offense to rally around — Miami having a quarterback that the entire locker room believes in.
“There have been great strides from the other quarterbacks. We just felt like it was important for there to be one voice, a leader that could hold everyone on the offense accountable, like all good offenses have.”
King beat out former part-time starter N’Kosi Perry, a redshirt junior, as well as redshirt junior Tate Martell, redshirt freshman Peyton Matocha and true freshman early enrollee Tyler Van Dyke.
NFL perspective
Former NFL scout and Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy tweeted last week that King was “under 5-9’’ and that despite being “one of the most dynamic players in college football,’’ some scouts “think his best pro position will be slot WR.’’
“Don’t you feel like now we’ve seen smaller quarterbacks can play in the league?” Rose asked King.
“No doubt,’’ King said. “[Seattle Seahawks’] Russell Wilson, [Cleveland Browns’] Baker Mayfield, [Arizona Cardinals’] Kyler Murray — all those guys are smaller quarterbacks, and I think that’s opening a lot of people’s eyes that you don’t have to be the 6-4, 220, 225-pound guy to play the position anymore. You just have to be really good with the ball, accurate and make good decisions. That’s what I pride myself on.”
At Houston, King threw for 4,925 yards with 50 touchdowns and just 10 interceptions. He also rushed for 1,421 yards and 28 touchdowns. Basically, dream numbers for the Hurricanes, who have switched to a no-huddle, spread offense under new offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee.
Despite the ongoing threat of COVID-19, the quarterbacks have been staying in the same meeting rooms, Lashlee said, but carefully distanced.
“When we meet, our guys are never within six feet of each other,’’ Lashlee said. “They are spread out. There’s never a contact issue. We can stay in a big enough room and stay safe with the QBs.’’
Protect the youth
King, who said UM coaches were “doing everything in their power to keep us safe and to make sure we’re protected,’’ was asked by Rose if part of his job this season is to “keep young guys that still want to be a little wild and get out and enjoy things” healthy, which in turn will help protect the older players.
“Yeah, no doubt,’’ the quarterback said. “I think the most important thing this year is going to be doing the right stuff through this pandemic.... It’s been pretty tough, especially having a new offense. But ultimately we did a pretty good job over the pandemic. We’ve pretty much been throwing every single day.”
King said UM’s new offense “is really, really simple” and will “take a lot of shots” being physical and “running the ball downhill at people” while “playing fast and free.”
He described veteran receivers Mark Pope, Dee Wiggins and Mike Harley as running “really good routes.’’
“I feel like this team has a lot of talent...,’’ King said. “Maybe in recent years it hasn’t been an offense to showcase a lot of people’s abilities. I’m excited to get the ball in their hands.’’
King also told co-host Zach Krantz that having productive tight ends Brevin Jordan and Will Mallory will be a boost. “Tight ends are a quarterback’s best friend.’’
King can motor
And when all else fails, or more importantly, when it doesn’t fail, King will motor toward the end zone.
“I’ll definitely take advantage of it if the defense gives me that,’’ he said. “I’m not afraid to run the ball. I’m pretty good at it.’’
Even if he’s not 6-4.
“It’s been so long since we actually, really, really competed in practice,’’ King said. “Everybody is excited for this day. It’s the first step to having a great season.”
