CHARLOTTE, N.C. _ Hurricanes coach Mark Richt arrived at ACC Kickoff, the conference's annual preseason media day event, expecting he would have to answer plenty of quarterback questions.
He wasted little time Wednesday making it clear that Malik Rosier _ the redshirt senior who started all 13 games last season and led Miami to 10 straight wins to open the year _ remains the Hurricanes' starter.
And the coach said he isn't sure that will change ahead of Miami's Sept. 2 opener against LSU at the Advocare Classic in Arlington.
"Malik is, without a doubt, the No. 1 quarterback going into fall camp and right his minute, I'm not sure anybody's going to be able to unseat him, at least going into Game One," Richt said. "I will have an open mind and we'll give reps and we'll compete, but here's the thing about Malik _ and I'll say this, even from my standpoint _ when time passes, the emotion of the season ends and you go back and review game, film, coaches copy, TV copy, and just kind of watch what happened last year _ he made a lot of big plays in some really big moments, and without it, we're not going to win. He made some great plays with his wheels, he ran the ball well and did some things that if he doesn't do the things that he did, we probably don't win 10 games last year."
Pressed further, Richt continued: "He's the starter. Malik's the starter, and if something changes, I'll let you know. ... I don't anticipate anybody knocking him out of the box right now."
Though Rosier threw for 3,120 yards and 26 touchdowns in 2017 _ Miami's first 10-win season since 2003 _ he struggled late in the year and was even pulled during the Hurricanes' regular-season finale at Pittsburgh, a game the Hurricanes lost 24-14. He threw 14 interceptions and was streaky at times, prompting Richt to say heading into the spring that he'd like to see redshirt freshmen N'Kosi Perry and Cade Weldon, as well as freshman Jarren Williams, push Rosier for the starting job.
Rosier, for his part, said he welcomed the competition and said during the spring he felt it was up to him to prove he had gotten better and had the ability to lead Miami to a second straight Coastal Division crown.
"I've got to come out here and lead," Rosier said in March. "And I've got to show guys that I am the guy, and I have to take us to the ACC Championship again and this time, win it."
As for the Hurricanes' young quarterbacks, Richt said Wednesday he expects to see them continue growing and improving. He noted, too, that the NCAA's revised policy allowing players to appear in four games and still retain their redshirt status could be a boon for Williams, a four-star prospect that had a solid showing during the spring.
"These other guys ... we are teaching them what it means to be the leader of the team. We're teaching them what it means to be the quarterback," Richt said. "The quarterback has a different standard of how you behave on the field, off the field, how you prepare. It's different and these guys have got to learn that. They're making strides. I haven't seen it to where I'm like, 'This guy is ready to take the reins.' We'll see."
