The season of in-season decisions about redshirting is in full swing. After some earlier headlines generated some buzz about his potential future, Houston quarterback D’Eriq King has released a statement through Houston’s football program that confirms he will indeed be redshirting for the remainder of the 2019 season. He won’t be alone. Wide receiver Keith Corbin released a similar statement to say he will be redshirting for the remainder of the 2019 season as well.
What King did not say in his official statement is he is intending to leave the program behind. In fact, King said in his statement he plans on remaining a part of the Houston program moving forward.
“I came here to play football for the University of Houston and that is not changing,” King said in a statement. “After carefully thinking through this process with my family and Coach Holgorsen, I have decided the opportunity to redshirt this season gives me the best chance to develop as a player, earn my degree and set me up for the best success in the future. I’m looking forward to being a part of the success of this program going forward.”
Now, “being a part of the success of this program going forward” is an interesting line to put in there, especially when earlier in the day King’s father was quoted as saying his son was leaving Houston (it’s worth mentioning King said his decision was not final). Bottom line, this is a pretty vague line that doesn’t really close the door on anything.
“Having the opportunity to take time and focus on the completion of my degree, plus having the chance to develop as a student-athlete is why I have decided to redshirt for the remainder of the 2019 season,” Corbin said in a released statement. “Coach Holgorsen, myself and my family both took time to make this decision. Being a Cougar has been one of the best decisions I have made, and I’m ready to take this time to help our program develop for the future.”
Houston is 1-3 to start the season with losses to Oklahoma, Washington State and Tulane (the lone win came against Prairie View), and this is not exactly the kind of start Houston was envisioning for head coach Dana Holgorsen. Still with a lot of football to be played, the season is hardly a lost cause for the Cougars unless their sights were set on playing in a New Years Sic bowl game (which of course, they should have been), but even that is not entirely out of the equation just yet, even if it feels a bit distant. More importantly, Houston’s offense now has some tremendous shoes to fill. Logan Holgorsen (son of the head coach) is the only other quarterback to have thrown a pass this season, which was completed for five yards by the freshman. Corbin was also Houston’s second-leading receiver with 192 yards on 11 catches with a pair of touchdowns.