The University of Miami will have a scholarship quarterback for its upcoming bowl game, which will be announced soon. And that quarterback hasn’t taken a single signal call all season. The Miami Herald confirmed on Wednesday via a source that UM sophomore quarterback Jacurri Brown will start in the bowl later next month, as fourth-year junior Tyler Van Dyke announced this week that he is entering the transfer portal. Brown, who played in eight games as a backup and started two of them last season, is the Hurricanes’ only remaining healthy scholarship. UM would only have four walk-on quarterbacks on its roster if Brown had not committed to playing in the bowl. They have all never played.
Coaches indicated earlier this season that Brown’s playing time would be limited to four games or less in order for him to gain an extra season of eligibility by redshirting. However, after freshman quarterback Emory Williams broke his left arm in his first start against Florida State on Nov. 10, many wondered why Brown hadn’t seen any action. Some believe Brown requested not to play this season, giving him the option of returning to UM as a redshirt sophomore next season or transferring. Brown will keep his eligibility and play as a redshirt sophomore next season, whether he stays at UM or not.
Brown, who stands 6-4 and weighs 220 pounds, is from Valdosta, Georgia. He was 27 of 45 (60 percent) for 230 yards and three touchdowns with three interceptions last season. His two starts included a strong performance in his first start at GT on Nov. 12, 2022 (14 of 19 for 136 yards and three touchdowns, with 87 yards rushing), a 35-14 UM victory.
Brown also appeared in UM’s final game of the season against Clemson. He was hit hard and sacked three times while completing 6 of 13 passes for 53 yards and one interception. In 2022, he was fired six times.
Last season, he gained 223 yards on the ground. “We made the decision at the start of the year to save his season and use him as an emergency quarterback,” UM offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson told reporters on Oct. 30. The crisis has arrived. UM (7-5) will learn its bowl destination on Sunday. Last season, the Canes finished 5-7 and did not advance to the postseason. Miami was scheduled to play Washington State in the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas, in 2021, but canceled due to a UM COVID-19 outbreak.
The Hurricanes have gone 1-10 in their last 11 bowl games. The last time UM won a bowl game was against West Virginia in the Russell Athletic Bowl in Orlando on December 28, 2016.
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