Redshirt freshman Jarren Williams will be the starting quarterback for Miami's opener against Florida, coach Manny Diaz announced on Monday, surprising the many who expected the Hurricanes' competition to go in a different direction — to Ohio State transfer Tate Martell, the perceived, on-paper favorite since he was named immediate eligible in March.

As recently as the start of fall camp it seemed a two-quarterback competition: N'Kosi Perry, who started yet failed to impress as a freshman in 2018, versus Martell, who left the Buckeyes for the standard reason of playing time — the Buckeyes had none to offer after landing Georgia transfer Justin Fields while the Hurricanes had, once again, an unsettled depth chart.

But Martell's offseason-long stint at Miami has echoed his previous stop: As at Ohio State, the hype built during his wildly productive high school career has failed to match reality. This isn't Martell's fault; he simply may not be as good as his recruiting pedigree. If so, he joins an extensive and ever-growing list of top-rated prospects to fall short of expectations.

(This is particularly true in Miami's quarterback room. The Hurricanes haven't had a first-team all-conference quarterback since Ken Dorsey in 2002, when the program was in the defunct Big East Conference, while just one quarterback has earned All-ACC accolades since Miami joined the league in 2004.)

"We believe we can win with all three guys," Diaz said. "However, we feel like Jarren has the greatest upside due to his passing ability, his instincts and his determination."

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That an unseasoned quarterback just one year younger is already viewed by Diaz and offensive coordinator Dan Enos to have the higher upside is a telling statement about both Perry and Martell, with hints about each player's short- and long-term potential as a starting quarterback at Miami or even at any program among the top half of the Power Five.

The future is even cloudier for Martell, who can transfer for a second time but would be highly unlikely to be again given immediate eligibility — already a redshirt sophomore, he'd need to join a Championship Subdivision, Division II or III program to not lose a full season. If he does transfer within the Bowl Subdivision, are there many programs willing to take a flyer on a twice-transferred backup?

The question remains even if Martell stays at Miami to earn his degree and then leaves as a one-year graduate transfer, especially if he never moves beyond the limited, situation-specific role he held as Dwayne Haskins' backup at Ohio State. Even still, that seems like Martell's best option for finding the best fit before the clock runs out on his college eligibility.

That's if Williams retains the starting job for the duration, which is impossible to predict — he may not keep the job past Florida, the No. 8 team in the preseason Amway Coaches Poll and now an even heavier favorite to win on a neutral field in Orlando. Martell could be one bad snap away from sliding into the lineup, if it's any consolation.