Houston quarterback D’Eriq King’s offseason was like one long test drive. He’s in the driver’s seat and spending eight months playing with all the new switches, buttons and knobs that make his new car hum.

“What’s at your disposal back there? When you see this, what can you get into? Where do you need to be thinking?” Cougars coach Major Applewhite said. “He’s grasping it fast. It’s really fun to watch.”

If you’re looking for a good bet to be a breakout star at quarterback in 2018, King wouldn’t be a bad name to examine. The history of quarterbacks in new offensive coordinator Kendal Briles’ power spread, popularized by his father, Art Briles, is a who’s who of excellence behind center in Texas. Kevin Kolb, Case Keenum, Robert Griffin III and Bryce Petty were all standouts that became NFL Draft picks. Even Nick Florence led the Big 12 in passing yards back in 2012. Last season’s FAU team leaned more heavily on running back Devin Singletary, but quarterback Jason Driskel averaged more yards per attempt than North Texas’ Mason Fine. 

“This offseason was about putting the offense in and making sure everybody understands how the offense works,” Applewhite said. “It’s not just scheming to our defense in the spring. It’s understanding all the bells and whistles and switches on the car. Then we’ll get into the season and see how we want to feature certain players.”

Last year, King began the season at receiver and caught 29 passes for 264 yards and two scores before moving to quarterback and closing the season as a starter. He completed 64.7 percent of his passes for 1,260 yards, seven scores and two picks while starting the final five games of the season. Now, after Texas A&M transfer Kyle Allen left early for the NFL, he’s the unchallenged starter for the Cougars in 2018 and should benefit from Briles’ arrival.

“He’s done a great job. He’s an outstanding leader. He’s a great competitor and takes it very seriously. He’s done an outstanding job of adapting,” Applewhite said. “You can already see him play with a lot of confidence and play fast.”

Playing at hyperspeed is one of the hallmarks of Briles’ offense, and now, it’s King’s turn behind the wheel.