Richt to give 'really good QB' Kaaya more control of Miami offense

It's been a while since Mark Richt had a stable quarterback situation, but that's exactly what the 56-year-old thinks he's walking into at Miami.

The Hurricanes coach acknowledged Thursday in front of boosters that he wasn't sure what to make of Brad Kaaya when he arrived in Coral Gables in December, but has been impressed with the pivot in their limited work together.

"All I kept hearing (at Georgia) is he's a really good quarterback, and a really good guy. That's what I kept hearing, universally," said Richt, according to Matt Porter of the Palm Beach Post. "And then after working with him ... I've realized he's a really good quarterback and a really good person."

Kaaya was a consistent bright spot last year in an otherwise inconsistent offense. He threw for 3,238 yards, along with 16 touchdowns to just five interceptions, missing one game due to injury and playing hurt in a bunch of others.

Heading into his junior season, Kaaya is being touted as a potential first-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. The next step in his development involves taking greater control of the team's offense, which is what Richt plans to give his quarterback.

"He'll change a lot of plays. He'll come to the line of scrimmage with a lot of two-play, three-play combos - this protection or that protection, declare this guy or that guy the Mike linebacker, run this way or that way - but it's all predetermined according to what he sees," said Richt. "So he's not just making up a bunch of stuff. He'll change a play, but he'll do it because of what we studied and what we planned."

Richt wants his trust in Kaaya to be on display when the Hurricanes open their season against Florida A&M at the beginning of September. By then, Richt hopes the pivot can "know and go" with his decisions, instead of checking with the coach first.