It’s official: QB derby to extend into camp
Enos says Perry, Martell Williams have progressed, but no clear No. 1 starter yet
CORAL GABLES — Considering the Hurricanes’ young trio of quarterbacks is adapting to a new coach and learning a new system, it was no surprise Tuesday that offensive coordinator Dan Enos said neither N’Kosi Perry, Tate Martell or Jarren Williams had done enough this spring to earn the starting job, even with Miami set to wrap up drills with an Orlando scrimmage on Saturday.
But at least now it’s official and the three quarterbacks — along with UM’s fans — know there is still a good amount of work to be done this summer before the Hurricanes reconvene in late July and truly begin the work of preparing for their Aug. 24 opener against rival Florida.
“These three guys continue to improve. … All of them have good days, then one will be ahead and another one bumps ahead. It’s too close to tell right now. But I will say this: They’re all getting better. It’s been really encouraging to watch their pocket demeanor, their fundamentals, their eyes, their feet, coming off their reads,” Enos said. “Jarren, for example, Saturday did something in the scrimmage that’s a very small thing, but it’s something I’ve showed those guys on tape for about a week and a half and it translated. He did it.”
Added Diaz, “What’s become obvious
is they’re all improving, but there’s no way they just have enough at-bats where somebody can, you know, jump out in front of the pack. And part of that is because they’re all competing and I think their level of play is improving. So, what we think will be the key is [being in] this building when no one’s watching in June, July. And when they bring the team in here without coaches and just the repetition, repetition, repetition of going through these pass concepts and running these plays.”
So what are the things Enos would like to see his quarterbacks continue to work on in the coming weeks? He noted it’s about more than simply footwork or mechanics — though all of that will matter.
But after Perry, Martell and Williams all had varying levels of success in last week’s open scrimmage, Enos wants to make sure each is developing emotionally and mentally as well as physically, especially given the situation the starter will be walking into when he takes the field at Camping World Stadium in August.
“All these three guys are, in my opinion, very, very young. They’re learning every day there’s something new to learn. But, you’ve got to know not only how to handle adversity, but how to handle success, too,” said Enos, who spent last season tutoring Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa and Oklahoma’s Jalen Hurts in Tuscaloosa.
“I’ve had two or three good plays, and then I make a huge mistake because maybe I did relax, maybe I did get complacent for a play. They have to learn how to clear the mechanism, if you will, every play and play the next play. Learn from the past play, good or bad, and then move on to the next play. That’s an attribute we’re working with these guys on on a daily basis.”
While all three of Miami’s quarterbacks are adapting to Enos’ system, the offensive coordinator noted on Tuesday that the one likely facing some of the most pressure is Martell, the highly touted Ohio State transfer who many Miami fans expected would challenge for the starting job immediately upon arriving in Coral Gables.
He didn’t play much at Ohio State, though as a redshirt freshman last season, Martell completed 23 of 28 passes for 269 yards and a touchdown. He added another 128 rushing yards and a pair of rushing touchdowns, showing some of the dual-threat skills that made him a coveted four-star prospect coming out of Las Vegas powerhouse Bishop Gorman High. There, Martell was unbeaten as a starter and he threw for 7,507 yards and 113 touchdowns, while rushing for another 2,294 yards and 35 touchdowns.
But since arriving in Coral Gables, Martell has sometimes struggled. In Saturday’s scrimmage, he was just 4 of 11 for 78 yards with an interception. Perry and Williams, meanwhile, had better completion percentages, with Williams going 7 of 12 for 79 yards with a touchdown and Perry going 9 of 15 for 78 yards.
Still, Enos said Martell bounced back in Tuesday’s practice and likely had one of his best days of the spring. That, Enos said, was encouraging.
“He’s talented. He can run. He’s got good arm talent. We’ve asked him to learn a new system. We’ve asked him to learn new fundamentals and techniques. We asked him to move to a new city. He’s got a lot of pressure on him. Let’s be honest — he comes in with all the accolades,” Enos said. “There’s a process we all have to go through and Tate’s going through the process.”