2021 NFL Draft: Top prospects to watch for each ACC team
By Kyle Edmond
Miami – D’Eriq King, Quarterback, Redshirt Senior
Most people would say that Gregory Rousseau is the top prospect out of Miami this season, and they would be right. The catch is, we know what Rousseau can do so there are few questions to really watch for this coming season. D’Eriq King on the other hand has a lot to prove that will dictate his status heading into the draft.
After pausing in the middle of last season at Houston, King decided to essentially opt-out of the remainder of the season and pursue a transfer, landing him as the next name on the list of quarterbacks to try on the Hurricanes’ helmet. After drawing a lot of buzz during the 2018 season and heading into the 2019 season, King will need to recapture that excitement in order to have a chance at being drafted.
Statistically, King has a strong case for being an NFL weapon. At Houston he totaled 78 touchdowns, throwing 50 and rushing for another 28, which fits the mold for the new style of NFL quarterback we’re seeing from Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson and Kyler Murray. Over 22 games with Houston, King also totaled 4,925 passing yards with an additional 1,421 rushing yards.
The ability is obviously there and the upside is a draw, but King has had his downward slopes as well. Considering how he ended his tenure with Houston, he may have placed a red flag on himself during the draft process that he will have to erase from the memory of the team’s that have an interest in drafting him.