CORAL GABLES, Fla. -- Derrick Crudup took the first snap of Miami's spring practice Tuesday, beginning the team's search to replace Ken Dorsey.

But will Crudup take the first snap next season?

Florida transfer Brock Berlin, sophomore Marc Guillon and freshman Kyle Wright figure to push Crudup for the starting job at "Quarterback U," where Dorsey broke just about every school and Big East passing record.

"I feel like it's my job," Crudup said. "I've been here long enough and I've worked hard enough and I've progressed well from my freshman year. I think it's my job. I feel real confident. I could feel it when we broke the huddle. I feel like I am the man, and I know I am the man."

Time will tell. Coach Larry Coker doesn't plan to select a No. 1 quarterback anytime soon. He hopes to narrow down the competition by the spring game April 5, and then pick a starter after fall practice begins.

"We'll try to narrow it down because we've got to get somebody ready to play, somebody these guys can rally around and know who their quarterback is," he said.

Coker has carefully made plans for each practice. The coaching staff will chart every throw, then break down every decision even more while reviewing videotape of the workouts.

Coker also will try to control the hype surrounding the competition. Miami closed spring practice for the first time in hopes of limiting the scrutiny on the four quarterbacks. The team also is making just one quarterback available for daily interviews.

"We're not going to let it take away from spring practice," he said.

Crudup, a 6-foot-1 junior from nearby Deerfield Beach, spent the past two seasons as Dorsey's backup. In 15 games, he hasn't thrown an interception. Of course, he hasn't thrown much, either.

Mostly in mop-up duty, Crudup completed 25 of 48 passes for 326 yards and three touchdowns. He has a strong arm and is the most mobile of the four quarterbacks, despite running eight times for minus-17 yards last season.

He had his most impressive outing in the Fiesta Bowl against Ohio State in January. Trailing 31-24 in the second overtime, Dorsey got knocked out of the game on second down. Crudup stepped in and completed an 8-yard pass to give the Hurricanes a better chance at tying the score.

Berlin, a 6-1 junior who left Florida in January 2002, sat out last season under NCAA transfer rules and has two years of eligibility remaining. Many Miami fans believe Berlin is the most talented of the quarterbacks and will become the starter.

A Parade All-American and USA Today's offensive player of the year following the 1999 season, Berlin was widely considered the top quarterback prospect when he came out of Evangel Christian Academy in Shreveport, La. But in two years at Florida, he never surpassed Rex Grossman on the depth chart. He completed 53 of 87 passes for 653 yards, with 11 touchdowns and two interceptions.

Guillon, a 6-4 Californian who played at the same high school as Dorsey, threw a 39-yard touchdown pass on his first attempt as a freshman last season. He is the least-hyped of the four quarterbacks.

Wright, another 6-4 Californian who enrolled in classes in January, hopes the extra work this spring will get him into the mix.

He was widely considered the top high school quarterback in the country last season. He completed 61 percent of his passes for 2,825 yards and 37 touchdowns as a senior. He threw only four interceptions. The Parade All-American also rushed for 313 yards and five touchdowns and led Monte Vista High to a second consecutive North Coast Section 3A East Bay championship.

"It's a different kind of excitement for me because we've had Kenny out here for four years and now it's a new situation for us," Coker said.