UM backup QB to transfer
Redshirt junior will seek playing time as a graduate transfer
Shirreffs wants playing time.
CORAL GABLES — When another quarterback competition gets underway for the Hurricanes this spring, at least one of the major players in last year’s race has decided he won’t be there.
Quarterback Evan Shirreffs, a rising redshirt junior, announced via Twitter he planned to transfer from Miami and seek playing time elsewhere as a graduate transfer.
“I want to thank Coach Richt, the staff and my teammates for an incredible 3 years at the University of Miami,” Shirreffs wrote. “I have decided to seek opportunities as a graduate transfer for my final 2 years of eligibility.”
Shirreffs was the Hurricanes backup quarterback this season behind starter Malik Rosier, who helped lead Miami to a 10-3 record and a berth in both the Atlantic Coast Conference Championship Game and the Orange Bowl.
Shirreffs saw limited playing time behind Rosier, getting time in the Hurricanes’ season-opening win over Bethune-Cookman and playing a series at North Carolina when Rosier left the game briefly with a shoulder injury.
Shirreffs also saw limited action in Miami’s regular-season finale at Pittsburgh when Hurricanes coach Mark Richt pulled a struggling Rosier. Shirreffs went 0-for-2 on that series and Rosier re-entered the game
“One of the best young men I know! Was an absolute pleasure to work with you. … I am a lifetime fan.” Jon Richt, QB coach to Shirreffs on Twitter
late.
In all, Shirreffs appeared in six games during his Miami career, completing 2-of-7 passes for 16 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions.
After his announcement, Hurricanes quarterbacks coach Jon Richt took to Twitter himself, voicing support for Shirreffs, writing, “One of the best young men I know! Was an absolute pleasure to work with you. … I am a lifetime fan.”
Ahead of Miami’s 34-24 loss to Wisconsin in the Orange Bowl, Hurricanes coach Mark Richt said that once spring football began, every job on the field was up for grabs, including starting quarterback.
Joining Rosier in that competition will be rising redshirt freshmen N’Kosi
Perry and Cade Weldon, neither of whom played this season and incoming freshman Jarren Williams, who signed with the Hurricanes during the Early Signing Period in December and is expected to enroll at Miami this month. Miami also has rising sophomore Augie DiBiase, a walk-on, on the roster.
With Shirreffs’ departure, Rosier remains the only quarterback on Miami’s roster that has any college experience. A rising redshirt senior, Rosier completed 54 percent of his passes for 3,120 yards with 26 touchdowns and 14 interceptions.
And after Miami’s Orange Bowl loss, he said he welcomed the opportunity to compete to keep his starting job.
“You can ask N’Kosi himself. He’ll come up to me in practice [and ask] ‘What’d you see? Why’d you do this?’ and I still help him. I want him to be as great as he can be because if there’s no competition, I won’t get to be better,” Rosier said. “That’s the biggest thing. The only way I can grow is if someone pushes me to grow. That’s what I tried to do with [former Hurricanes quarterback Brad Kaaya], and I need N’kosi and Jarren to do it with me. … If they wind up beating me, then I’ll shake their hand, I’ll tell them congrats and I’ll support them the whole year.”