Tyler Huntley to start for Dolphins on Monday Night Football: What to know about new Miami QB

The Dolphins are enlisting a new hurler in the hopes of salvaging an increasingly desperate season.

Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel made the switch on Saturday, announcing that the Dania Beach, Fla., native will get the start in Miami's 'Monday Night Football' clash with the Titans.

Huntley, 26, has long been considered one of the NFL's better backups. He started games in Baltimore, supplanting Lamar Jackson and Cleveland filling in for Deshaun Watson. Now, he gets a chance to strut his stuff alongside Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle and DeVon Achane, all in the hopes of bringing the Fins back to .500.

Huntley is a hometown hero in more ways than one. Monday night's contest should make that more than apparent; dozens of Huntley's closest family and friends are expected to make the trek to Miami Gardens to watch him test his wits against the Titans.

MORE: Assessing the Dolphins QB depth chart after injuries to Tua Tagovailoa, Skylar Thompson

Here's what you need to know about Huntley's background, one which saw him make a name for himself in Hard Rock Stadium's shadow.

NFL POWER RANKINGS: Dolphins stumble into Week 4

Where is Tyler Huntley's hometown?

Huntley grew up a stone's throw away from the Dolphins' home ground, making his arrival in Vice City a reunion of sorts.

Huntley was born and raised in Dania Beach, Fla., a city located in the southeast quadrant of the Miami metropolitan area. He was a football fanatic as a kid, eventually enrolling at Hallandale (Fla.) High School, where he emerged as one of Broward County's greatest passers.

Huntley garnered plenty of honors as a four-year starter at Hallandale. As a senior, he was named Florida's Gatorade Player of the Year after completing 237-of-387 pass attempts for 3,636 yards, 42 touchdowns and just 10 interceptions. He also took part in an epic duel with Boynton Beach (Fla.) and future teammate Lamar Jackson, leading Hallandale to a 38-36 victory over the future two-time MVP.

MORE: Revisiting the epic Lamar Jackson vs. Tyler Huntley high school duel

After a glittering high school career, Huntley committed to Utah, joining forces with high school teammate — and future NFL running back — Zack Moss.

Here's a look at Huntley's numbers over the course of his Hallandale tenure:

• Record: 34-10
• Passing yards: 9,053
• Passing TDs: 106

Where did Tyler Huntley go to college?

Huntley wasn't all that highly-touted, at least not by most recruiting metrics. The Hallandale alum was given four-star billing by ESPN, but was only considered a three-star talent by 247Sports and Rivals.

No matter, though. Snoop found a home with the Utes. Utah's offensive coordinator, former NFL head coach Dennis Erickson, had high hopes for the Florida standout when he arrived on campus.

"Coach Erickson looked at Tyler and said, 'That's a NFL quarterback,'" Huntley's high school coach, Dameon Jones said, per the Ravens' official website . "I had been telling everybody the same thing, but they didn't get it. I give Coach Erickson credit. He saw it right away."

In addition to Utah, Huntley also received offers from Florida Atlantic, Bowling Green, Louisville and Cincinnati, among others.

Tyler Huntley college stats

Huntley played for the Utes for four seasons — three of which he started — from 2016 to 2019. Here are his totals across 37 contests (per Sports Reference ).

Huntley earned All-Pac-12 first team honors after posting the second-best completion percentage in the country (73.1 percent) in 2019. He led Utah to the Pac-12 Conference title game that year, as well.