Miami Hurricanes backup quarterback N’Kosi Perry enters transfer portal
University of Miami fourth-year junior quarterback N’Kosi Perry has entered the NCAA transfer portal.
Matt Zenitz of al.com first reported the news.
Perry, who had an up and down Hurricanes career that ended with an impressive performance in the Dec. 29 Cheez-It Bowl, this season was 26 of 47 (55.3 percent) for 348 yards and three touchdowns, with one interception.
His career UM numbers during the past three seasons: 208 of 397 (52.3 percent) for 2,484 yards and 24 touchdowns, with 10 interceptions. He also ran for 217 total yards and three touchdowns.
Perry, 6-4 and 190 pounds, was a top-rated four-star recruit out of Ocala Vanguard when he came to UM in 2017, starting nine games in college — much of his previous struggles concerning maturity issues. But Perry had one of his finest performances when star quarterback D’Eriq King sustained a torn ACL in the recent bowl game before halftime, and UM’s backup replaced him.
Although UM lost to Oklahoma State 37-34, Perry came in cold and completed 19 of 34 passes for 228 yards and two touchdowns.
“When D’Eriq came on campus, N’Kosi could have gone one or two ways,’’ UM coach Manny Diaz said after the bowl game. “I tell you, his last 12 months on our campus and who he has been in our program has been his best 12 months.
“It’s tough to be the backup and you’re waiting for your shot, and you don’t ever know, and so the fact that he got it on a stage like this in a bowl game... What he looked like to me is he looked like a guy that’s played a lot of ball. He’s been in a lot of big situations, and the team had confidence in him that we could move the football with him in there and that’s exactly what happened.’’
Though King was to undergo reconstructive knee surgery, UM believes King will be ready for the start of the 2021 season and a Sept. 4 opener against now-No. 1 Alabama.
“We took a positive step tonight, even though we didn’t come out with the W,’’ Perry said after the bowl. “We’re really building something here and it’s going to be really great for us next season.’’
When asked that night if he ever had thoughts of transferring, especially in light of a national star like King taking over, Perry said, “I’m committed to this school, and right now is not the time to be talking about transferring or anything like that. I’m all about the U, and I just want to get back with my team right now.”
Next season besides King, the Hurricanes will have redshirt freshman Tyler Van Dyke, incoming top signee Jake Garcia and redshirt sophomore Peyton Matocha vying for the backup job. All have virtually no college experience.
Garcia, 6-3 and 200 pounds, grew up in Southern California but just completed his senior season by winning a state championship at Grayson High in Loganville, Georgia. He was rated the nation’s No. 5 prep quarterback and will soon arrive at UM in time to early enroll and compete in spring ball.
Van Dyke, 6-4 and 220 pounds, a former consensus four-star prospect graduated from Suffield Academy in Glastonbury, Connecticut, and played very little in two games this season, throwing two incompletions.
UM tight end Brevin Jordan said after the bowl game that he was “very happy’’ for Perry. “He works very hard. He comes to the building and he knows he’s not the starting quarterback. He’s the first guy in the meetings. He practices very hard.
“When he was in the game for us, it was normal for us because he’s so cool and so calm and collected that it wasn’t a big deal to us. We knew Kosi was going to go out there and do his thing.’’
This story was originally published January 7, 2021 at 4:54 PM.
