Miami quarterback D'Eriq King announced Saturday that he will return to the team for the 2021 season, which is huge news for the Hurricanes.
King transferred to Miami from Houston for 2020, believing he would get only one season to play. But because of the coronavirus pandemic, all players received one extra year of eligibility if they chose to take it.
Over the past several weeks, King said he had yet to make a decision about his future. On Saturday, he revealed on social media that he has decided to come back, as the Hurricanes prepare for the Cheez-It Bowl against Oklahoma State on Tuesday in Orlando, Florida.
"Let's run it back," King said in his announcement.
Decision made. pic.twitter.com/dkBf1PAA6Z
— King (@DeriqKing_) December 26, 2020
This season, King has thrown for 2,573 yards, 22 touchdowns and just five interceptions while completing 63.6% of his passes -- which currently ranks as Miami's all-time best, ahead of the 62.3% mark set by Bernie Kosar in 1984. King also has rushed for 520 yards and four touchdowns.
King described his decision to return as "really, really, really tough," saying he had changed his mind about what to do over the course of the past few months.
"If you were to talk to me a month and a half, two months ago, I'd have probably told you I was declaring [for the NFL draft]," King said. "It's everybody's dream that's playing college football to have a shot at the NFL, and I feel like I would have had a good chance to make a team this upcoming year. I think I have a lot of stuff to work on still to take that next step to the NFL, but I'm going to do it every single day, I'm going to work hard, work on the things I need to improve on and see where it goes.
"There's no looking back."
There have been only two instances in the past three seasons when a quarterback threw for 400 yards and ran for 100 yards in the same game -- and King is responsible for both. He had a 419-yard passing, 132-yard rushing game for Houston in 2018 and a 430-yard passing, 105-yard rushing game for Miami this season against NC State.
Miami coach Manny Diaz said earlier this month he thought King would benefit from a return.
"I don't think D'Eriq has ever been in the same offensive system two years in a row," Diaz said. "And so, just to be able to come back and have the continuity of staff and players around him would be an immense benefit."
King said he was told he would be a fourth- to sixth-round draft pick, and that did play a minor role in his decision. But he also said he felt he had a "decent" year that "wasn't to my standard." An entire offseason in the Miami program on campus is sure to help, in addition to being in the same system for the second straight year.
With King, the Hurricanes have an elite quarterback to build around for the first time since the mid-2000s. And Miami opens the 2021 season against Alabama in Atlanta.
"Make no mistake, D'Eriq is coming back because he wants to win," Diaz said. "He can certainly accomplish goals and throw for these many yards and do these type of things, but D'Eriq comes back because he wants to win. And it means a lot because that means he believes we can win.
"But it's going to be a hell of an offseason because we have to make sure our offseason work ethic matches our in-season expectations."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.