Miami Football: 5 early bold predictions for 2018 season

1. N’Kosi Perry ends 2018 as the starting quarterback

Miami’s 2017 starting quarterback, Malik Rosier, is a good player but isn’t quite good enough to hold off N’Kosi Perry.

Perry, who redshirted in 2017 to learn the playbook and bulk up, enters spring camp as the backup but this race is going to be wide open for 2018. Departing star receiver Braxton Berrios has commented on Perry’s raw talent but admits that both Perry and Rosier have to up their football IQ before Miami can take the next step.

While the LSU game in Arlington, Texas, could be a coming out part for Perry, I think Rosier will still take the bulk of the snaps against the Tigers in Jerry’s World. It’s a lot of pressure for a quarterback to take their first snaps in an environment like that against a defense as dominant as LSU’s. The Tigers’ defense ranked 18th on the season per the S&P+ rankings from Bill C.

Perry came to Miami from Ocala Vanguard with much hype but not a lot of football knowledge. The offensive system Perry played in during his high school years focused on letting the young quarterback flash his arm strength and footwork rather than go through actual reads and progressions.

I once compared Perry to Marcus Mariota and I still think their style of play is similar, but Perry will have to prove he has the football acumen to become the starting quarterback and dominate the college game the way Mariota did in Eugene while the Ducks’ starting quarterback.

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Perry, however, will have the right opportunity to steal the position. Backup quarterback Evan Shirreffs transferred out of Miami leaving Perry to battle with Rosier, Cade Weldon and incoming freshman Jerren Williams. Perry has a leg up on Weldon and Williams but will have to prove he can unseat a veteran passers in the redshirt senior Rosier.