Is Houston QB D’Eriq King Transferring To UCLA, Georgia Or Oklahoma?
Is Houston QB D'Eriq King Transferring To UCLA, Georgia Or Oklahoma?
Is Houston QB D’Eriq King Transferring To UCLA, Georgia Or Oklahoma?
Is Houston QB D’Eriq King transferring to UCLA, Georgia or Oklahoma?
That is the question on the minds of college football fans all over the nation after the surprising news that King may sit out the year and redshirt to maintain his final year of eligibility.
King, a dual threat talent, threw for 2,982 yards and 36 touchdowns last year while also running for 674 yards and 14 touchdowns.
Kyler Murray and Dwayne Haskins were the only quarterbacks with more total touchdowns in 2018.
Related: Did Notre Dame Fake Injuries vs Georgia? Brian Kelly Responds
One year earlier, in 2017, he completed 90 of 139 passes for 1,260 yards and seven touchdowns, while also recording 379 rushing yards with eight touchdowns on the ground.
As a high schooler, during his senior season, King broke the career Texas 6A passing touchdowns record of 117 set by Kyler Murray the year before.
All of this is to say the kid is obviously very talented, and will likely have a lot of suitors if he decides he wants to finish out his collegiate career elsewhere.
Related: Tom Brady Offers A Surprising Take On The Patriots And Antonio Brown
This move is presumably a play to increase his NFL draft stock, so it stands to reason that the school he will likely go to is one that have a history of sending players to the pros.
Eric King, father of QB D’Eriq King, confirms his son is leaving @UHCougarFB & transfer: “It’s the best decision for him at this point. Very, very tough (decision). He’s got a lot of teammates riding on him. Sometimes you got to be a little self-centered & do what’s best for u”
— Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) September 23, 2019
The most obvious option for King would be UCLA.
The Bruins recruited him when he was still in high school, so clearly there was past interest there, and King is precisely the type of quarterback Chip Kelly was once successful with.
Related: Is Michigan Firing Jim Harbaugh And Replacing Him With Urban Meyer?
Once upon a time, Kelly took a talented dual-threat passer named Marcus Mariota to the promise land – and it would not be particularly shocking to see him do it again if given King’s skillset to toy around with.
If not UCLA, Oklahoma could make a lot of sense for King.
Related: Oklahoma State Coach Mike Gundy Was Furious Over A Media Question
Lincoln Riley is arguably the biggest quarterback whisperer in college football, and when you consider what he has done for Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray and now Jalen Hurts, it is clear why someone like King would want to play with him.
Plus, with Hurts on his way out after this season, there is going to be a vacancy at Oklahoma quarterback.
Related: NBA Rumors: Lakers Preparing To Sign Carmelo Anthony?
Finally, if not UCLA or Oklahoma, don’t sleep on Georgia.
Jake Fromm is on his way out and the Bulldogs could really use a talented quarterback like King to fill his shoes.
Even with Fromm gone Georgia will still boast a very talented roster, and there is a reasonable case to be made that he may be able to do more with this squad than Fromm ever could.
Related: Are The Panthers Trading Cam Newton To the Bears, Broncos or Jets?
Obviously playing in the SEC is not as appealing as playing in the Big 12 or even the Pac 12 if you want to showcase your offensive skills, but there is a certain allure that comes with playing for a winning team – regardless of conference.
At this point in time King has yet to personally confirm his intentions to sit out the rest of the year, but based on everything coming out of his camp, it is sounding like a foregone conclusion.
Related: Is Bob Stoops Replacing Gus Malzahn At Auburn?
While his father says he’s leaving @UHCougarFB, QB D’Eriq King says his decision is not final: “I’ve got to go talk to Coach Holgorsen. It’s not just me redshirting. It’s a bunch of other guys as well.” (Asked when he’ll make a final decision) “Today, after 5. It’s not final.” pic.twitter.com/Z6rrcpJE67
— Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) September 23, 2019
“It’s the best decision for him at this point,” his father Eric King said.
“Very, very tough (decision).
“He’s got a lot of teammates riding on him. Sometimes you got to be a little self-centered and do what’s best for you.”
Related: Will The Giants Trade Eli Manning To The Jets, Steelers Or Bears?
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
