Who are the 2021 Heisman Trophy candidates?

2021 Heisman Trophy candidate No. 4: D’Eriq King, QB, Miami

The arrival of D’Eriq King in Miami Gardens to take over the Hurricanes offense was a huge move for Manny Diaz in the program. The position had been a problem spot for them in recent years, something that had put a hard cap on their ceiling. So with the prolific dual-threat quarterback coming into the fold, it was hard not to be hopeful about what he could accomplish.

Miami took a noticeable step forward in the 2020 season with King under center and, as expected, the Houston transfer had a ton to do with that. In 11 games, King threw for 2,683 yards with 23 touchdowns and only five interceptions while also rushing for 538 yards and four touchdowns. He proved that he could be the same dynamic player against better competition.

As it turns out, Diaz and the Canes are lucky in that the NCAA’s decision to give players an extra year of eligibility will allow King to return to the program and have another year to try and get the program over the hump.

Yes, King suffered a torn ACL in the Cheez-It Bowl loss to Oklahoma State, which means he’ll spend the majority — if not all — of the offseason recovering and rehabbing from that. Even still, if he comes back at close to 100 percent, he should be a superstar for Miami that garners a ton of buzz if the team has any semblance of success.