Coach Mike Rumph: D’Eriq King Has “Next Level Gifts”

Everyday, doesn’t matter who the media is able to talk to, but everyday, quarterback D’Eriq King is raved about. Whether it’s a coach or a player, someone always has something great to say about Miami’s starting QB.

After Thurday’s practice, the media spoke to CB coach Mike Rumph, and junior cornerbacks DJ Ivey and Al Blades Jr.

What stood out most to me, was Rumph talking about the leadership of King, and how much he’s helped the entire team just by leading through his example. Rumph said that King watched the defense go through walkthroughs recently, just because he wasn’t familiar or didn’t understand the schemes they were running. King gets it, that your biggest players also have to lead by example, not just go through the motions. He wanted to learn, and get better as a quarterback, and help his team.

“I’m more impressed by his coaching ability. He’s almost like a coach on the field,” coach Rumph said. “I think that attitude is great and that attitude is contagious.”

When it comes to defending against the dual-threat quarterback, all 3 guys, Rumph, Blades and Ivey had something to say.

Rumph went on, “His arm, his ball placement, how fast he can run and just being a student of the game.”

“I also think he is faster than what we have seen. You watch him on film and it is like wow he can run, but I feel like D’Eriq has another gear,” Rumph continued.

King’s speed and scrambling ability is definitely an intriguing aspect of his skill-set, making him a nightmare for opposing defensive coordinators. In 2018, King rushed for over 650 yards and scored 14 touchdowns on the ground for Houston, and he threw for 2,982 passing yards and 36 touchdowns.

“I think he has an extra gear,” Rumph said as he was ending about the transfer QB.

Ivey said it was difficult playing cornerback when King is at QB, “It’s complicated, knowing he can throw different types of balls to the different receivers we have.”

Then finally, Blades had this to say about the quarterback, “He’s a very precise passer and you have to respect the quarterback, as well as the receiver when you have a precise passer.” Blades mentioned that going against a passer like King, has made him a better player and cornerback.

At their first scrimmage this fall, King was one of the most impressive Hurricanes on the field. King completed 15-of-26 passes, for 187 yards and 4 touchdowns. Even in a scrimmage situation where reps are limited, King still accounted for over 200 yards on offense.

Miami’s next scrimmage is on Saturday.