Richt names former backup Rosier starting quarterback

CORAL GABLES – Finally, the Hurricanes know who will be leading their offense when a new season begins in two weeks.

And after a prolonged three-week competition, the player with the most experience as a Hurricane will be the one leading the charge.

Malik Rosier, who has served as Miami’s backup quarterback the last two years, was named the starter on Tuesday by coach Mark Richt.

“Focus, discipline, and accuracy,” Richt said when asked what made Rosier emerge the leader from the four-player competition. “He showed up focused every day on his job, he was disciplined in his fundamentals, his footwork, his reads, his passing fundamentals and he was hitting his target. He did a very good job.

“He really…he did stand out above the rest. It wasn’t like [an] unbelievable amount, but it was apparent he was having the best camp. Evan [Shirreffs] did extremely well. Evan did extremely well. I felt like there was enough of a difference to feel comfortable that Malik’s the guy.”

In a statement Miami released earlier, the school announced Shirreffs, a redshirt sophomore, would be second on the preseason depth chart while freshmen N’Kosi Perry and Cade Weldon will continue learning the system.

Rosier, a redshirt junior, will fill the job left vacant by his former roommate and good friend Brad Kaaya, who left No. 18 Miami as the school’s all-time leading passer and bypassed his senior year to enter the NFL draft.

Not long after Richt spoke, Kaaya took to social media to wish Rosier well, posting a photo of the two of them and writing, “Go be great 12! Your turn!”

His experience may have proved the difference.

Rosier is the only one to start a game for the Hurricanes, taking the reins in a 2015 game against Duke when Kaaya was recovering from a concussion.

That night in Durham – which capped a tumultuous week at Miami that included the firing of former coach Al Golden and the death of former Hurricanes’ cornerback Artie Burns’ mother – Rosier was a steadying presence for Miami, going 20-of-29 for 272 yards with two touchdowns.

Rosier’s performance and an improbable kickoff return by Corn Elder helped the Hurricanes edge Duke for a 30-27 win.

“He [showed] he could do it,” receiver Braxton Berrios said of Rosier’s performance in that win over Duke. “He hadn’t been able to that point, and he finally had a game where he was walking in and was going to be the starting quarterback. He took a shot on the first series in the end zone and threw a perfect ball. So from then on, he kind of solidified himself to where ‘I can do this.’ We’ve always known that. He came out and had a tremendous camp. He really did.”

Kaaya returned a week after that game and Rosier returned to his backup role, which he filled last season, too.

Rosier has appeared in 10 games, completing 31 of 61 passes for 370 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions.

He is also a former twosport athlete at Miami, playing baseball for Hurricanes coach Jim Morris as a freshman before focusing on his scholarship sport.

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