Experience alone won’t decide Miami’s QB race
Richt ready to customize offense to suit the winner.
CORAL GABLES — Malik Rosier threw a touchdown pass to Darrell Langham in Saturday’s scrimmage, redshirt senior hooking up with redshirt senior. Recognizing a blitz, changing the protection and knowing when Langham, who had adjusted his route, would be open — old hat, all of it.
It was a play only a veteran quarterback could make, according to coach Mark Richt. He said the same thing Tuesday. But in his final chat with reporters on the last day of spring drills, Richt was clear that he doesn’t need a veteran QB in order to be a comfortable coach.
When asked if it’s fair to say one of his younger quarterbacks — redshirt freshman N’Kosi Perry, true freshman Jarren Williams or redshirt freshman Cade Weldon — needs to show him a lot this summer as it relates to knowledge of the playbook, Richt said, “They’ve got to know enough, and I’ll say this: whoever becomes the quarterback, if it’s not Malik, we’re going to not make him confused.” Richt said he is open to streamlining his offense to fit Perry, Williams or Weldon.
“If we think somebody can perform better, and maybe lighten his load a little bit, or maybe give some more responsibility to our center — you’ve got Tyler Gauthier, he can direct traffic without a quarterback saying who the Mike linebacker is and all that,” Richt said. “If I have to do something like that, I’ll do it.”
Some of that may be Richt sending a public message to Rosier, who responds to such challenges. Richt also gives the impression he isn’t yet sure how this plays out.
In his days as offensive coordinator at Florida State in the 1990s, Richt recalled, a brand-new quarterback like Williams would be bound for a redshirt. Perry and Weldon might be focusing on playing as upperclassmen. “We had ’em kind of stacked up,” Richt said. “Most guys didn’t play until their third or fourth years, and they kind of knew it.”
That’s no longer the case. “If we had kind of a guy that’s an undisputed champ,” Richt said, “a young guy might know he’s going to be redshirted.”
Perry and Weldon have their eyes on playing, and both have a year in the system. Williams has shown Richt his intelligence and accuracy since arriving in January. In three spring scrimmages, Williams went 17 for 23 for 224 yards and three touchdowns, running the second-string offense against the second-string defense. In that setting, his numbers were better than Rosier (17 for 31, 214 yards, two touchdowns, interception), Perry (17 for 34, 199 yards, one touchdown, two interceptions) and Weldon, who returned Saturday after missing the first two scrimmages with an eye infection. He went 9 for 12 for 113 yards.
“I like Jarren,” Richt said. “He’s a good student of the game. He’s got a long way to go, but he’s really working hard toward learning.” The QB race is open. “Oh yeah,” Richt said. “Until the very bitter end. All season long, too. Every week.”