The Miami Hurricanes won’t have a quarterback controversy on their hands heading into the 2018 season. Head coach Mark Richt left no room for doubt naming Malik Rosier his starter, speaking with ESPN’s David Hale.
“Malik is the starting quarterback, for sure,” Richt said.
Though, Richt wouldn’t be a good football coach if he didn’t dangle a carrot for his other quarterbacks. Even while making it clear Rosier is the starter, there’s the tiniest crack of a window for another quarterback to emerge, if they can (looking at you, Evan Shirreffs).
“Someone’s got to dethrone him. Someone’s got to beat him out if that’s going to happen. It’s not like — to say it’s wide open, every position is wide open because we want a competition at every level. Every player that comes back talks about the greatest competition they had was on the practice field. And I also want to go into this season with a sort of first-year mentality. Let’s go compete. Show us you’re ready to take somebody’s job. But Malik is the starting quarterback, and he’s going to be unless somebody knocks him off the perch.”
Rosier had some big moments for the ‘Canes last year. But to say there’s no room for improvement at this position would be way off base.
He completed just 54 percent of his passes, and threw 14 interceptions. Additionally, when the going got tough last year against top competition (Clemson and Wisconsin) he threw just one touchdown and five interceptions as Miami limped into the offseason with consecutive losses in the ACC Championship Game and the Orange Bowl.
Needless to say, Miami needs to see better play from Rosier, or have another quarterback step up in 2018, if it is going to continue ascending.