Hits won’t start coming for valuable King
D’Eriq King has been practicing sliding, but Houston coach Dana Holgorsen made it clear his star quarterback will not be taking any hits once the tackling portion of training camp starts.
Before tearing a meniscus in his right knee Nov. 15 against Tulane, King led the Football Bowl Subdivision with 50 total touchdowns. The senior from Manvel, who took part in spring practice, will be sporting a different color jersey than his teammates in camp to stand out and signal no hitting.
“We’re never going to tackle him,” Holgorsen said following Monday’s walkthrough session. “We’re not going to know if the light has come on with him. I think it has because he’s saying all the right stuff. It’s going to be game time before we figure that out. But I do like where his mindset is at right now.”
There have been instances where Holgorsen has allowed his quarterbacks to be subjected to contact. Former West Virginia quarterback Skyler Howard is an example.
“It’s what made Skyler Howard a really good quarterback,” Holgorsen said. “Skyler had to be hit for him to be competitive. He was terrible in spring practice going into his junior year. And he got tackled and hit a lot in some scrimmages and that’s what made him a great player.
“Plus, it helps your defense if you got a quarterback that can be live. It helps them account for him.”
No word yet on Bama transfer
UH coach Dana Holgorsen couldn’t comment on reports that five-star Alabama transfer Eyabi Anoma, who entered the NCAA transfer portal on July 28, has committed to Houston and is just awaiting word on being accepted by the university.
“This is a dead period and we’re just coaching the guys that we got,” Holgorsen said.
An elite pass-rushing defensive lineman and outside linebacker, the 6-5, 230-pound Anoma was the No. 4 overall high school player in the nation in 2018, according to 247Sports. As a true freshman at Alabama last season, the Baltimore product appeared in 12 games, collecting nine tackles.
University acts as transfer lure
UH is becoming an alluring spot for transfers as coach Dana Holgorsen has brought in 17.
“What’s appealing about it is, is we’ve got a good track record with it,” Holgorsen said. “Houston’s a place that is appealing to a lot of people. It’s appealing to me and my staff, which is why we’re here. And obviously the University of Houston is a pretty attractive place right now. We feel we’ve got a good product to sell in a great city, and we have a recruiting strategy.
“This isn’t a steppingstone job anymore. In some of the previous coaches’ defense, it’s a different job than it was 10 years ago. It’s a different university than it was 10 years ago. There’s different facilities than 10 years ago. There’s more on-campus housing. Our staff is going to be here and there’s going to be continuity. There’s a lot of interest in coming to the University of Houston.
“(School president) Renu Khator has been a godsend to this university. She’s made this a very attractive place. And the overall athletic department is pretty good, too. A lot of things factor into it. We’re going to take the best players we can. There’s a reason you take transfers, they can make your program better for the future.”
However, Holgorsen and his staff are bringing in more than transfers, graduate students and junior college players. Of the current seven commitments for the class of 2020, all are high school players.
As far as bringing in grad transfers that usually have one season of eligibility, Holgorsen said, “they ought to play or you’re not a very good recruiter and evaluator.”
Jones impresses but must sit out
After the first two nonpadded practices, Troy transfer Marcus Jones got the attention of coach Dana Holgorsen.
A deluxe return man and cornerback, Jones earned All-Sun Belt first-team honors in 2018. The year before he was an All-America selection. The 5-9, 174pound Jones will redshirt in 2019 and have two years of eligibility remaining.
“Marcus Jones is a guy he probably could start (this year),” Holgorsen said. “He’s really a good player. He’s turned my head in two days. He makes us better in the future.”
Jones had two kick return touchdowns against Coastal Carolina and returned an interception 100 yards against Arkansas State.