Hurricanes’ cool King is other star quarterback in Miami vs. Clemson

OK, enough already about Trevor Lawrence.

There’s another quarterback in what is being billed as the top game in college football this weekend: No. 7 Miami (3-0, 2-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) at No. 1 Clemson (3-0, 2-0).

His name is D’Eriq King. And unlike 6-6 projected No. 1 NFL Draft pick Lawrence, he stands all of 5-9 7/8, King told the Miami Herald just before the season started. But that has not stopped him yet.

Going into Saturday’s game, King, a redshirt senior who spent his first four seasons with Houston, is ranked 15th nationally in passing efficiency, passing touchdowns and completion percentage and 17th in passing yards.

And like Lawrence, he has yet to throw an interception this season. But he is not particularly focused on getting equal billing, though he acknowledged Lawrence’s greatness Wednesday and that he has watched him “a bunch’’ to help in his own development.

“I’ve gone up against other great quarterbacks,’’ King, 23, said. “I’m not playing Trevor, though. Our defense is playing him. I’m just excited to have an opportunity to even play in this game. They’re the No. 1 team in the country for a reason. But I feel we’ve earned the right to be in this kind of game.”

King has completed 63 of 94 passes for 736 yards and six touchdowns. He has gained 180 yards and a touchdown rushing for a 5.6-yards-per-carry average.

And he has only been sacked three times, twice against Alabama-Birmingham, once at then-No. 18 Louisville and not at all against Florida State.

“There’s really nothing he can’t do,’’ Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said this week. “He can make all the throws, and when he runs it, he’s a running back. He’s got that mindset of a running back, too. He’s averaging 5.4 yards after contact...and 15 yards a scramble... so this is a very physical player.

‘DANGEROUS’

“You better have your big-boy pads on. He’s a dangerous player.’’

For those just learning about King, in 2018 at Houston, he set the American Athletic Conference record with 50 touchdowns — 36 passing and 14 rushing — his past two-and-ahalf games with a torn meniscus in his right knee. He passed for 2,982 yards, with only six interceptions, and added 111 carries for 674 yards, a 6.1-yardsper-carry average.

Last season, King set the NCAA’s Football Bowl Subdivision record for consecutive games (15) with a passing or rushing touchdown, breaking former Florida quarterback Tim Tebow’s record. He extended the record to 16 in UM’s opener, before ending the streak at Louisville.

Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables was asked the similarities in King and former Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson, against whom he also has game-planned:

“I know this,’’ Venables replied, “D’Eriq King can throw the ball really, really well consistently. He’s like a running back when he decides to run it. Got great poise, accuracy, big arm, electric running the ball. Those are probably the similarities. Very instinctual players, quick releases, don’t get rattled.

“Very dynamic, very difficult to defend when guys are good at both running and throwing.’’

UM coach Manny Diaz, who had nothing but high praise this week for Lawrence,

King

said Tuesday that he thought it was important for King to get on Miami’s Coral Gables campus for an official visit this past to January to “see who we were in person.’’

“I wanted to see him see our players go through a workout and see that we were serious about winning down here, that we have a culture that was intact that really just needed a leader at the quarterback position to make it shine and come out,’’ Diaz said.

“Ultimately, the understanding of what Miami historically has looked like when they’ve gotten highlevel play fro the quarterback position, and then the relationship with [new offensive coordinator]

Rhett Lashlee and seeing what Rhett Lashlee did in a year with [SMU] transfer quarterback Shane Buechele... All those things factored in.’’

HEISMAN WATCH

Football types, who despite acknowledging King’s talents, have said in the past that he’s too small to play quarterback in the

NFL.

But the cool quarterback with a quiet confidence and maturity beyond what many college players possess, is drawing plenty of attention now. How he does Saturday at Clemson will go a long way in solidifying his NFL future.

“King has a chance to prove he’s a real Heisman contender this weekend,’’ ESPN.com wrote this week in its Heisman Watch column, its voters listing him fourth among six contenders, with Lawrence, Florida’s Kyle Trask and Ohio State’s Justin Fields ahead of him.

“I don’t quite know what to make of King’s NFL prospects yet,’’ NFL Draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. wrote Tuesday, “but it’s hard not to be impressed by his production. The Houston transfer doesn’t throw interceptions...and he has put Miami on the national stage this weekend.

“The biggest knock on King is his height — 5-10 — but the NFL is changing, and we’ve seen shorter quarterbacks such as Russell Wilson, Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray have success. King isn’t on that level talent-wise, but he is going to get drafted.’’

On Wednesday, UM safety Amari Carter spoke about defending Lawrence, who has not thrown a pick in nearly a year.

“We’re aware of that,’’ Carter said. “But as defensive backs we’re not banking on, ‘Oh yeah, he hasn’t thrown an interception, so there’s not going to be one.’ When we’re in practice, we’re attacking balls and trying to get that interception.

‘PROPS TO D’ERIQ’

“And just like Trevor hasn’t thrown an interception, D’Eriq hasn’t either. When we’re in practice, we’re seeing a good quarterback... I have to give props to D’Eriq because he’s doing the same thing that people are mentioning Trevor for. I love that I have a quarterback that is doing the same thing we see the top quarterback at Clemson doing.”

King spoke Wednesday about not being concerned about publicity.

“I’ve played a lot of college football,’’ King said, “and I know when it’s really good there are a lot of highs and everybody is talking about you. And one bad thing and it’s all downhill, so I don’t try to pay attention to the media.’’

He said his focus is on being himself Saturday, not on trying to match Lawrence.

“There are going to be ups and downs in this game,’’ King said. “They have a high-scoring offense and we do, too. So we’ve got to go out there and just duel it out. You can’t press and do too much because that’s usually when things go bad.”

If it’s up to King, he will be drafted as a quarterback.

“If you produce on the field,’’ King said, “then nothing else should matter.’’