According to The Athletic, D’Eriq King has told Miami head coach Manny Diaz that he is transferring there.
Can report former #Houston QB D’eriq King has told Miami coaches he has chosen UM and will begin classes Tuesday pic.twitter.com/B70qzOAUTO
— Manny Navarro (@Manny_Navarro) January 19, 2020
Moments after King announced he was entering the portal, GoCoogs wrote that Miami was the real favorite. The reason: Miami’s QB situation is pretty bad. In their last 3 games this year, Miami QBs were a combined 45 of 105 (42.9%) in losses to FIU, Duke, and Louisiana Tech.
Much of the media had focused on Arkansas due to Kendal Briles being there. That was lazy. Arkansas is not a fit at all for D’Eriq and the Razorback coaching staff knows that.
King doesn’t have the size to play in the SEC. He can’t get to the corner in the SEC West. DBs are faster than anything he’s faced.
In addition, he would be required to throw deep in the SEC – a lot more than he did at UH. Unless a WR is wide open, King has not shown the ability to consistently hit those throws.
In his four games in 2019, 75% of King’s completions were within 6 yards of the line of scrimmage. He was 2/19 (10.5%) on balls thrown over 20 yards. To compare, LSU’s Joe Burrow was 57% on those throws this year.
Yesterday, Arkansas hosted Kentucky in hoops. That was _the_ chance to impress a transfer QB and Arkansas decided to bring in former Florida QB Feleipe Franks for the weekend – not D’Eriq King. Franks has won in the SEC and is 8-10 inches taller than King.
Other writers have constantly pushed Oklahoma or LSU as a destination for King but neither made much sense, either. OU has been grooming Spencer Rattler for the role, as has LSU with Myles Brennan.
King’s game will work well in the ACC Coastal and against Miami’s schedule. Here are the teams they play in 2020:
Temple
Wagner
UAB
Duke
FSU
UNC
Pitt
@ UVA
@ VT
@ Wake
@ Michigan St
@ Georgia Tech
King can take that program to 9-10 wins against that schedule. The Canes should be favored in all 7 home games and also at Wake and GT. The schedule is ideal – something he and his dad, Eric King, have definitely considered.
As for UH, the King drama has enveloped the program since mid-September and can finally be put to rest. There are plenty of questions regarding the Cougar offense going forward but at least this particular sideshow has been eliminated.
Widget not in any sidebars