Houston Football: Dana Holgorsen faces high expectations in 2019

Heisman candidate D’Eriq King leads the offense again

Houston quarterback D’Eriq King is no longer a secret and is a playmaker that the whole nation knows about. He had 50 total touchdowns in 2018 with 2,982 yards passing and 674 yards rushing, he did all this while missing the last game of the year and the bowl game as he got hurt in the second-to-last game of the regular season. He also led the AAC in passing touchdowns with 36 and was one of the top runners in the AAC as well with 14 rushing touchdowns.

King started his college career as a wide receiver his freshman year before being put at quarterback (what he played in high school) during the second half of his sophomore season in 2017. He is always one of the best athletes on the field, but is more than just an athlete, he is a solid quarterback.

While he can beat you with his legs on any play, he can do the same with his arm. He does a good job throwing the ball downfield and takes care of the football as he only threw six interceptions last season and had a touchdown-to-interception ratio of 6-1. King should pick up where he left off with Holgorsen as the new head coach.

While King is certainly the focal point of the offense, the Cougars have many weapons besides him.

The Cougars’ leading rusher last year returns as well as their top three rushers on the team (including King). The Cougars also welcome grad transfer Kyle Porter from Texas who never found his footing with the Longhorns, but is hoping a change of scenery helps him get his football career rolling.

They’re also loaded at the receiver position as four out of their top five receivers from 2018 are back. The wide receiver group is led by Marquez Stevenson who had 75 catches last year for over 1,000 yards and nine touchdowns. The wide receiver unit is arguably the best in the AAC. The skill positions are loaded for the Cougars.

Lastly, they have several starters back on the offensive line and they will continue to be one of the main reasons why the Cougars’ offense is so good, despite not getting talked about a lot.

While the Cougars have a new offensive minded head coach, an experienced offensive line and a loaded group at the receiver and running back positions, it’s King who will lead this offense. As long as he is healthy, they will be able to put up points against everyone on their schedule.