Houston Quarterback D’Eriq King Announces Intent to Transfer
By Dan Matney
Less than a week after allowing Tulane to make a dramatic 4th quarter comeback, the Houston Cougars suffered another loss Monday starting quarterback D’Eriq King announced his intent to transfer away from the program.
Having appeared in just four games this season, King has retained a year of eligibility and will move on as a graduate transfer next season.
King has been a focal point for the Houston offense and has already accounted for 987 all-purpose yards and 12 touchdowns.
His destination hasn’t been announced and the reasoning behind the move remains a mystery. King is listed at 5-foot-11, 195 pounds, which falls well below the typical NFL height-weight standards for the position, although the league is trending towards smaller quarterbacks.
King is a dynamic play-maker with the speed to break plays open as a ball carrier. He possesses impressive agility and makes guys miss in space but his skill doesn’t project as a starting-caliber signal-caller at the next level.
He has enough arm strength to deliver in the underneath game, but King doesn’t display the zip to consistently find success in the vertical passing game at the next level. Kings mobility allow him to find success when things break down, but his stature and lack of polish could limit his upside as a NFL passer.
Given his limitations, Senior Bowl Director Jim Nagy posed an interesting theory:
Curious to see if D’Eric King’s decision to leave @UHCougarFB was to transfer somewhere else to play QB or to give him almost a full year to develop as a slot WR. At just over 5’8”, his best chance of playing at the next level would be at WR. pic.twitter.com/IYXsIW9pBF
— Jim Nagy (@JimNagy_SB) September 23, 2019
Regardless of his destination, King’s situation is worth keeping an eye on. Although his NFL future could be limited, depending on what happens next season, he’s one of the most entertaining players in college football with the ball in his hands.