The news that we all feared regarding Miami quarterback D’Eriq King was confirmed to be true on Monday morning.

Miami Hurricanes head coach Manny Diaz confirmed to the Joe Rose Show on 560 WQAM that King is out for the season with a shoulder injury. That is terrible news for an already struggling and dejected Hurricanes team.

Before we project the final seven games of the season for this Hurricanes team without King, let’s take a minute to reflect on King’s tenure at the University of Miami.

Tim Reynolds from the Associated Press dropped an incredible nugget on Monday morning.

King impacted the Miami program in so many ways. Maybe most importantly, he brought a new energy to what seemed to be a lifeless team after a lackluster 2019 season. His leadership brought the team out of the doldrums in 2020 and the Hurricanes are back muddled in mediocrity without a fully healthy King in 2021.

Let’s recall his five most memorable games as a Hurricane.

Miami’s offensive coming out party at Louisville

King led Miami’s offensive coming out party in the ACC opener last year in Louisville. He passed for 325 yards and three touchdowns in Miami’s big 47-34 victory over Cardinals.

After being offensively inept under Dan Enos in 2019, this game was proof that the Hurricanes had turned the corner and could score consistently against power five competition. King used the tight ends and running backs masterfully in the passing game and Miami never looked like it was going to lose.

Miami’s offense dominates rival Florida State

One of the most fun games I’ve ever watched as a Hurricanes fan. The Hurricanes scored points on six of their seven drives in the first half and drilled Florida State 52-10 in September 2020 behind 267 yards passing and three touchdowns from King. King also rushed for 65 yards in that game on just eight carries.

Five different Hurricane had 35 receiving yards or more in this game and King’s pace running the offense and versatility shown with the ability to use his legs and his arm demoralized the Seminoles.

King leads comeback against North Carolina State

King saved the Hurricanes against North Carolina State in 2020.

He passed for 430 yards and five touchdowns and also rushed for 105 yards and a touchdown as Miami came from behind to beat the Wolfpack 44-41 on the road. The Hurricanes looked beat on multiple occasions in the second half of this game but King willed them to victory with the help of Mike Harley (153 yards receiving, two touchdowns).

This was King’s best statistical (and probably overall) game as a Hurricane.

King gets injured against Oklahoma State

With the good times, come the bad.

King had passed for 113 yards and a touchdown early on in the Cheez-It Bowl matchup with Oklahoma State but we all remember what happened next. King suffered a devastating knee injury that would keep him out for all of spring practice and totally change the course of his experience at the University of Miami.

Let’s pass on the video highlights here. We’ve all seen that play enough.

King guts out a tough game against Michigan State

In what will likely be his final game as a Miami Hurricane, King put together a gutty effort in Miami’s 38-17 loss to Michigan State in September 2021.

King left the game after taking a hard hit on Miami’s sideline and never missed a series leading the Hurricane offense. He finished with 388 yards passing and two touchdowns against the Spartans but was responsible for four turnovers that ultimately cost the Hurricanes that day.

While the result wasn’t what we wanted, King’s toughness was on display when he re-entered that game with his injured shoulder.

King’s legacy at Miami

While this certainly isn’t the ending we all hoped for with King, he absolutely made the University of Miami football program better in his time with the team. King will be remembered as an incredible leader, electric playmaker, and a player who always laid it all on the line.

Thanks for the memories, D’Eriq.