Patience will be key in finding next QB
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — At one point, he was asked specifically about two of his quarterbacks, N’Kosi Perry and Malik Rosier.
It took seconds for Hurricanes coach Mark Richt to — politely, but firmly — note they won’t be the only ones competing for Miami’s starting job once camp begins on Aug. 1.
Evan Shirreffs and Cade Weldon are also in the running to fill the spot left open by Brad Kaaya’s departure for the NFL and as Richt spoke with reporters at the ACC’s annual kickoff event on Friday, he made it clear all four players will have the chance to prove themselves in the coming weeks.
“I really would love to make the decision today. Iwould love to. But I keep telling myself we have to practice. We have to play it out. I have to watch. I have to observe,” Richt said. “I can think all these things, butwe might start practicing and it’s completely different than what I think. I want to keep an open mind. Iwant tobe fair. But I also want to find the guy. I’m not ready to do that yet.”
Coming out of spring practice in April, none of the quarterbacks that had been on campus seemed to distance themselves much from the pack, though Richt noted Rosier —Kaaya’s backup last season— and Shirreffs were his co-leaders in the first part of the race.
But Richt also said throughout the spring he wanted Perry, who was wrapping up his senior year at Ocala’s Vanguard High, to have a fair shot at the job, too.
And since arriving on campus in late May, Perry has shown he’s worthy of the opportunity.
During summer workouts, the former four-star prospect has drawn praise from his new teammates for his arm strength, mobility and quick grasp of the playbook.
That’s all helped make the 6-foot-4, 185-pound Perry a favorite among Hurricanes fans, but Richt knows the freshman — and the more seasoned quarterbacks — have tobe tested incamp.
“I want to say N’Kosi has got a really good skill set to play the position, but so does Cade Weldon. So does Evan. So does Malik. Everybody’s excited about N’Kosi because he’s new. … But we’re in a position where two true freshmen actually have the chance to win the job … I don’t want everybody feeling like it’s all about N’Kosi,” Richt said. “It’s not. It’s about who’s going to be the guy that I have the most trust in to run this football team and if it’s N’Kosi, awesome. But I believe they all have the skill set to get the job done.”
Richt didn’t expand on the reason for Willis’ leave, saying just that itwas for personal reasons.
In the meantime, he said Pat Bethel, Ryan Fines and Tyreic Martin could all see increased playing time inWillis’ absence behind Kendrick Norton and former Cardinal Gibbons standout R.J. McIntosh.
“I think we have enough guys to rotate and keep guys fresh throughout the season and throughout a game,” Richt said. “But if you get one or two guys bangedup, it’ll be make it tough on everybody.”