Perry finding his way at UM

Freshman QB impressing coaches, teammates with his skill set

CORAL GABLES — N’Kosi Perry wasn’t quite sure what to expect when he arrived at Miami.

Yes, everything had gone well during the recruiting process, and the football players and coaches he’d met on his visits to Coral Gables seemed welcoming.

But would those same players welcome him now, though, as he set out to win the Hurricanes’ starting quarterback job?

Turns out the freshman from Ocala was pleasantly surprised.

“The best part is how they’ve accepted me. As a freshman, I know at some other schools, some freshmen either get picked on or bullied. I feel like this school is more of a family. They treat everybody as an equal,” Perry said Monday, while surrounded by a crowd of reporters at Miami’s annual media day event. “That makes it a lot easier. That’s one thing that, before coming here, I didn’t know how that would be. But when I got here, [all the quarterbacks] bonded, right off the bat.”

As the Hurricanes move deeper into camp and closer to their Sept. 2 opener against Bethune-Cookman, the ongoing competition for the starting quarterback job remains undecided.

Coach Mark Richt and several of his assistants have hinted that after this weekend’s scrimmage that Miami’s two older quarterbacks — redshirt junior Malik Rosi-

er and redshirt sophomore Evan Shirreffs — seem to be leading the four-man race that also includes Perry and fellow freshman Cade Weldon.

But on Monday, as he spoke to reporters for the first time since arriving in Coral Gables, Perry didn’t seem too fazed by any potential shift in the competition. At this point, the coaches haven’t decided on a starter. All four players have been given a fair shot at the job, each logging time with Miami’s first-string offense.

And Perry, 19, understands there is still work a player his age has to do to prove he deserves the job.

Early in camp, Perry —who arrived at Miami as a four-star prospect from Vanguard High — struggled with snaps from under center. There were fumbles. There have been interceptions, too.

But there have also been moments where he’s shown both the strong arm and the elusiveness that made him one of the nation’s top dual-threat quarterbacks as a senior, when he totaled 24 touchdowns and completed 64 percent of his passes while leading Vanguard to a 10-2 record.

His skill set, Hurricanes players and coaches say, is something that can’t be ignored.

“He’s got to understand the offense, understand what we’re trying to do and then be able to move from there and take the things he does well,” Miami quarterbacks coach Jon Richt said. “What he does well is he is a very calm, collected guy at the line of scrimmage. He’s a smart kid that has been able to digest a lot so far.

“There is still a lot he has to learn and the little details of the plays, but he’s got the overall concepts down pretty well. … He’s got an unbelievable talent base as far as physical attributes — being able to throw the ball, he’s got one of the strongest arms on the team. And he’s also a really good athlete. If we can get him to carry the ball securely and have some good ball security, we’ll be all right.”

Added Rosier: “He’s talented. He’s learning. They’re throwing a lot at us … it’s one of those things, he’s learning on the fly. There’s even plays when me and Evan are learning on the fly, and we’re the old guys here.”

While Miami’s coaches, Rosier and Shirreffs have provided the bulk of assistance as Perry has tried to adapt to both college life and college football, the freshman did seek a little bit of outside help as he tried to prepare for the competition he knew awaited him at Miami.

Earlier this year, Perry worked out with former Florida State and current Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston. The two connected through former FSU corner PJ Williams, a Vanguard High alum. Having the opportunity to pick the brain of a Heisman winner was invaluable, Perry said —even if Winston once suited up for one of Miami’s biggest rivals, a team Perry hopes to beat at Miami soon enough.

“He let me know to pay attention to the small details. He’d tell me certain things, then I may do something different,” Perry said. “He says once you get in college, you’ve got to pay attention to the small stuff like that.”

However the quarterback race shakes out over the next few weeks, Perry insists he’s determined to stay even-keel. He recognizes that having the chance to play football at Miami isn’t something to be taken for granted — and his parents, particularly his mother, have helped provide a different perspective.

“She’s just very proud of me. She tells me every day,” Perry said with a smile. “That makes me very proud. So I have to try and stay prayed up and do the best of my ability.”