NCAA Football News and Notes: King Returning To Miami

We are just one week into the college football bowl season, and the fun has only just begun. Meanwhile, there are plenty of things happening away from the field that you might have missed during the holidays. 

Let’s catch up on all of the important college football news from the past few days.

Return of the King

Before their bowl game on Tuesday, the Miami Hurricanes got some great news when quarterback D’Eriq King announced he was returning for the 2021 season. King will take advantage of the NCAA not charging any players with a year of eligibility in 2020. 

The 2021 season will be King’s sixth year in college after he spent four years at Houston before transferring to Miami last offseason. King threw for over 2,500 yards and 22 touchdowns this season, helping transform the Hurricanes into a Top 25 team. 

Rather than testing his luck in the NFL, King will make Miami an early candidate to contend for the 2021 ACC title.

Gone!

Elsewhere in the ACC, North Carolina running back Javonte Williams won’t be returning to the Tar Heels in 2021, nor will he be playing in the Orange Bowl. Williams will forego his remaining eligibility and enter the NFL Draft. 

Both Williams and teammate Michael Carter rushed for over 1,000 yards this season and set an NCAA record by combining for 544 rushing yards against Miami. Carter also announced last week that he would pass on playing in the Orange Bowl and enter the NFL Draft. 

The Tar Heels will play Texas A&M in the Orange Bowl Saturday night.

Coaching Carousel

Several programs made head coaching hires over the holiday weekend, with both new and familiar names landing new jobs:

Auburn hired Boise State coach Bryan Harsin as Gus Malzahn’s replacement. The Tigers had perhaps the most high-profile opening in college football this year. 

Harsin has never even been an assistant in the SEC. However, he’s 69-19 as a head coach, leading Arkansas State to a conference title in 2013 and then leading Boise State to three conference championships in his seven years with the Broncos.

Former Auburn coach Terry Bowden is back as a head coach, as he takes over at Louisiana-Monroe. Bowden has spent the last two seasons as a grad assistant at Clemson, helping Dabo Swinney while working toward his Master’s. 

His most recent job before that was a seven-year stint at Akron, where he went 35-52. He takes over a Warhawks team that was 0-10 this season.

Arizona, another team that went winless in 2020, has hired Jedd Fisch to replace Kevin Sumlin. The 44-year-old Fisch has a long resume as an assistant in both college and the NFL. 

Most recently, he was New England’s quarterbacks coach. This will be his first job as a head coach at any level.

Gone Too Soon

Sadly, we have to close with the tragic news of Utah running back Ty Jordan, who passed away Friday night in Texas. Early reports indicate that it was an accidental and self-inflicted gunshot wound that claimed Jordan’s life. 

In five games for the Utes this season, Jordan ran for 597 yards and six touchdowns and was named Pac-12 Offensive Freshman of the Year. Jordan was just 19 years old.

For Dunkel Index college football bowl picks, check out our college football picks page.