Whatever happened to quarterback U?

CORAL GABLES - They often made their way here because of it.

Aside from the coaches and national titles, nothing was a better tool for attracting top talent than the University of Miami's "Quarterback U" image.

Yet, lately, the pressure of playing under that spotlight has led to failure and the tarnishing of a once-proud tradition.

Miami hasn't had a dominant quarterback since Ken Dorsey graduated in 2003, and now have turned hopes over to three players who have never taken a college snap.

Can redshirt freshman Robert Marve or freshmen Jacory Harris and Cannon Smith return UM to the old days of Jim Kelly, Bernie Kosar and Vinny Testaverde?

The chance to prove it begins when one is named the starter for the 2008 season-opener against Charleston Southern.

"We want to show everyone what we got," said Harris, who last year led Miami Northwestern to a consensus high school national title. "We want to show the coaches that they've got three great quarterbacks out there. We want to show everyone in the nation that we are back and it's still Quarterback U." Click here to continue reading...