Manny Diaz was tightlipped recently when asked for a timeline to name a starting quarterback down in Miami but it turns out the Hurricanes ended the competition earlier than most would have anticipated.

In a bit of a surprise, Miami has named Jarren Williams the team’s starting quarterback heading into the Week 0 showdown with the Gators in Orlando. Williams saw the field only once last season in the season opener against Savannah State. In that game, Williams completed one of three attempts and finished with 17 passing yards.

To earn the starting role at Miami, Williams beat out the Ohio State transfer Tate Martell and sophomore N’Kosi Perry — both of which were viewed by many as the two players most likely to start for the Hurricanes in the season opener against Florida.

Williams, a former U.S. Army All-American coming out of Central Gwinnett High School in Lawrenceville, Ga., was at one point committed to play for Mark Stoops’ Kentucky program. Now he will finally get a chance to play against the Gators, just in a different uniform than he could have anticipated years ago.