D’Eriq King wanted to set the tone for 2021.
The veteran quarterback announced before the Cheez-It Bowl that he plans to return to Miami next season as a sixth-year senior. The top-25 game – the first of the baking season – was meant to give a glimpse of a possible leap on the ACC ladder next season.
Miami coach Manny Diaz made it clear throughout the week how important this bowling game was for the future. “It’s going to be a hell of an off – season because we need to make sure our work ethic out of season matches our expectations in season,” Diaz told reporters ahead of the Cheez-It Bowl.
And then, with one run, King and Miami’s future was shrouded in darkness. The former four-year-old quarterback in Houston planted his right leg uncomfortably, absorbed a hit from an Oklahoma State defender and rolled to the grass field in pain midway through the second quarter on Tuesday. The knee is being evaluated in Miami on Wednesday. On Tuesday, one had to (again) wonder about King’s future after it was apparently decided that he would return for the Hurricanes next season.
Ligament damage could result in surgery, and rehabilitation could hamper a return to the field after the Sept. 4 season opener against Alabama.
“It’s hard,” Diaz said immediately after a 37-34 loss to Oklahoma State. “He had so much adversity. And hopefully we get good news tomorrow for a man who does everything right. It’s a tough pill to swallow for the whole football team.”
Fans of Miami will certainly wonder about the prospects until a clear prediction is released, but for now, the unknown should make Miami anxious.
A potential top-10 team in 2021 is suddenly on the verge – to fight again – of being infamous after they apparently re-entered the national spotlight with a top-10 position just two months ago, around it losing again with the loss of Clemson and Clownson. North Carolina.
This hopeful feeling returned last week when King announced he would return to Miami. He was not only the leading passer – 2,686 meters, 23 touchdowns, five interceptions – but also the second leading rusher (538 meters and four touchdowns).
“If you have a leader in the locker room who can help set the tone from day 1 instead of ‘Hello, I’m the new guy’ like he did in January, it should help our football team, ‘” Diaz said this week.
After the game, there was again doubt about King’s future. The quarterback said last week that he was introduced to the NFL just one to two months ago. Now? Diaz did not even want to make a guess about what looked like a certain thing a few hours earlier Tuesday night.
The Hurricanes approached the ball game as a chance for redemption after an exceptional 62-26 result against North Carolina. Miami’s defense preferred to push the snooze button Tuesday night so Oklahoma State could score 21 points in the first quarter.
Then King, the best player in the Miami rankings, could not put weight on his right leg and spent the entire second half his weight on crutches while putting on a heavy knee brace.
Miami crowded with and without King, but only chased a car the rest of the night in the 37-34 loss. The loss will not set the tone for 2021, but the Hurricanes certainly hope King’s injury is not the off-season.
Diaz gave Miami a chance to contend in the ACC by reaching the transfer market last year. He landed King and also appointed offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee in the days following a disgusting 14-0 loss to Louisiana Tech in the Independence Bowl.
Miami still had growing pains this season, but the offense improved and an 8-2 record in the regular season was a huge improvement. Still, several players, including two defensive lineouts, will not return next season. Leaders Cam’Ron Harris, the leading rusher, will make a decision on his future Friday. Junior sink Brevin Jordan, the Hurricanes’ best receiver, is also considering his future.
Still, the pieces are in place for a top-10 finish in 2021 if King is healthy.
“He’s all right with college football, and it’s going to be difficult to find another man who means more to this team next year,” Lashlee said.
For now, the Hurricanes have to wonder if they can lean on King’s right leg to make the next jump.
Brandon Marcello is a national football reporter for 247Sports. You can follow him on Twitter (@bmarcello).