Quarterbacks Luke Del Rio, left, and Austin Appleby at a recent workout. (Photo: Tim Casey/UAA)
Gators Spring Focus: Quarterback Battle Takes on New Look
Wednesday, March 9, 2016 | Football, Scott Carter
Florida opens spring camp with more questions than answers at QB
GAINESVILLE, Fla. - The quote is attributed to former NFL quarterback Ron Jaworski, perhaps best-known today as an NFL analyst for ESPN.
But before Jaworski discarded his helmet for a TV earpiece, he was a pretty good quarterback who led the Eagles to the Super Bowl during the 1980 season.
Jaworski once summed up football's most important player this way:
"The heartbeat of a football team is the quarterback position and I think everyone who has any intelligence about the game understands you must have consistency at that position to be a championship team."
Regardless of what you think of his TV work, Jaws is spot on in his analysis of the quarterback.
Which brings us to the Gators as they enter spring practice with a familiar predicament. Who is going to play quarterback?
A year ago in Coach Jim McElwain's first spring camp at Florida, the competition was between sophomore Treon Harris and redshirt freshman Will Grier. The competition carried over to preseason camp and while Harris started the season opener, Grier ultimately won the job.
Grier is no longer at Florida and is currently exploring his transfer options. Harris hasn't been with the team since January and his future with the Gators is uncertain.
So, once again, the Gators have a quarterback competition entering spring practice.
However, unlike a season ago when a lack of depth at the position limited McElwain's options, the position is deeper in 2016.
"That was the thing that hurt us last year,'' McElwain said.
Redshirt sophomore Luke Del Rio, fifth-year senior Austin Appleby, and true freshmen Feleipe Franks and Kyle Trask will compete this spring to sort out roles and provide a foundation at the position heading into fall camp.
Del Rio has the early edge. A transfer from Oregon State who has three years of eligibility remaining, Del Rio sat out last season due to NCAA rules. Still, he gained valuable experience in meetings and through studying the playbook installed by offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier.
"He's been here obviously and been learning,'' McElwain said Tuesday. "He and Austin have done an outstanding job together with those two young guys."
Since Florida won its last national championship in 2008, the quarterback position has been anything but consistent except in 2009, Tim Tebow's final season at UF.
The Gators are 47-31 since the start of the 2010 season when John Brantley took over for Tebow, which includes an SEC East championship and 10-4 record in McElwain's first season.
While Grier showed potential to be the answer, in the end it was only false hope for Florida fans. In some ways it's back to square one.
Let the competition begin:
*****
LUKE DEL RIO
Pros: Has been a member of the program the longest and has a strong knowledge of the offensive scheme ... Has shown good leadership qualities and work ethic ... Son of NFL head coach Jack Del Rio, so he grew up around the game and understands its complexities.
Cons: Has been unable to find a home since high school, first at Alabama and then Oregon State ... Is the shortest player in the competition at 6-foot-1 ... Has thrown only 18 passes in college career, completing eight for 141 yards in 2014 at Oregon State.
*****
AUSTIN APPLEBY
Pros: Most experience among the group ... Played in 17 games and started 11 at Purdue ... Has good size to run a pro-style offense at 6-4, 238 pounds ... Threw for a career-high 332 yards in final start for Purdue against Indiana ... Has nine 200-yard passing games in career.
Cons: Has only one season of eligibility remaining ... Threw for same number of interceptions (19) at Purdue as touchdown passes ... Must learn the offense quickly and establish his presence within the team.
*****
FELEIPE FRANKS
Pros: Has excellent size (6-6, 214) and athleticism for the position ... Was a very accurate passer on deep throws and underneath routes in high school ... Is elusive and showed the kind of skills in high school that drew interest from many of the top programs around the country.
Cons: New to the program and still has much to learn ... Has a lanky frame and needs to add weight to withstand the physical nature of the college game.
*****
KYLE TRASK
Pros: Good size for a first-year player (6-4, 230) who many consider a potential sleeper ... Has showcased a powerful arm that should get stronger as he develops ... Took most of his snaps in high school from the shotgun and made a variety of throws.
Cons: Same as Franks in that he is new to the program and has a lot to learn ... Relatively inexperienced compared to Franks because he was a backup in the offensive system his high school ran ... Not a huge running threat.
But before Jaworski discarded his helmet for a TV earpiece, he was a pretty good quarterback who led the Eagles to the Super Bowl during the 1980 season.
Jaworski once summed up football's most important player this way:
"The heartbeat of a football team is the quarterback position and I think everyone who has any intelligence about the game understands you must have consistency at that position to be a championship team."
Regardless of what you think of his TV work, Jaws is spot on in his analysis of the quarterback.
Which brings us to the Gators as they enter spring practice with a familiar predicament. Who is going to play quarterback?
A year ago in Coach Jim McElwain's first spring camp at Florida, the competition was between sophomore Treon Harris and redshirt freshman Will Grier. The competition carried over to preseason camp and while Harris started the season opener, Grier ultimately won the job.
| Player | Year Signed | Outcome |
| Jordan Reed | 2009 | Moved to tight end and played sparingly at QB; now an NFL tight end with Redskins |
| Trey Burton | 2010 | Used mostly at running back and receiver at UF; has made mark in NFL on special teams |
| Tyler Murphy | 2010 | Started six games for Gators in 2013; transferred to Boston College for final season |
| Jeff Driskel | 2011 | Led Gators to 11-2 record in 2012; transferred to Louisiana Tech after 2014 season |
| Jacoby Brissett | 2011 | First true freshman QB to make his debut as starter in 2011; transferred to N.C. State in 2012 |
| Skyler Mornhinweg | 2012 | Started three games in 2013; transferred to Columbia of Ivy League and started in 2015 |
| Max Staver | 2013 | Never played at UF; Transferred to Tyler (Texas) JC, then Houston Baptist University |
| Will Grier | 2014 | Redshirted in 2014 and led Gators to 5-0 record as 2015 starter; suspended and transferred |
| Treon Harris | 2014 | Has started 14 games past two seasons but is currently not with team this spring |
| Josh Grady | 2015 | Served as an emergency option in 2015, his only season at UF after transferring from Vanderbilt |
| Luke Del Rio | 2015 | Early front-runner in spring camp after transferring from Oregon State and sitting out 2015 |
| Feleipe Franks | 2016 | One of 12 early enrollees who arrived at UF in January; Gators flipped him from LSU |
| Kyle Trask | 2016 | Also an early enrollee who recently joined program; played at Manvel (Texas) High |
| Austin Appleby | 2016 | A graduate transfer from Purdue who has one year of eligibility left; has 11 career starts |
Grier is no longer at Florida and is currently exploring his transfer options. Harris hasn't been with the team since January and his future with the Gators is uncertain.
So, once again, the Gators have a quarterback competition entering spring practice.
However, unlike a season ago when a lack of depth at the position limited McElwain's options, the position is deeper in 2016.
"That was the thing that hurt us last year,'' McElwain said.
Redshirt sophomore Luke Del Rio, fifth-year senior Austin Appleby, and true freshmen Feleipe Franks and Kyle Trask will compete this spring to sort out roles and provide a foundation at the position heading into fall camp.
Del Rio has the early edge. A transfer from Oregon State who has three years of eligibility remaining, Del Rio sat out last season due to NCAA rules. Still, he gained valuable experience in meetings and through studying the playbook installed by offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier.
"He's been here obviously and been learning,'' McElwain said Tuesday. "He and Austin have done an outstanding job together with those two young guys."
Since Florida won its last national championship in 2008, the quarterback position has been anything but consistent except in 2009, Tim Tebow's final season at UF.
The Gators are 47-31 since the start of the 2010 season when John Brantley took over for Tebow, which includes an SEC East championship and 10-4 record in McElwain's first season.
While Grier showed potential to be the answer, in the end it was only false hope for Florida fans. In some ways it's back to square one.
Let the competition begin:
*****
LUKE DEL RIO
Pros: Has been a member of the program the longest and has a strong knowledge of the offensive scheme ... Has shown good leadership qualities and work ethic ... Son of NFL head coach Jack Del Rio, so he grew up around the game and understands its complexities.
Cons: Has been unable to find a home since high school, first at Alabama and then Oregon State ... Is the shortest player in the competition at 6-foot-1 ... Has thrown only 18 passes in college career, completing eight for 141 yards in 2014 at Oregon State.
*****
AUSTIN APPLEBY
Pros: Most experience among the group ... Played in 17 games and started 11 at Purdue ... Has good size to run a pro-style offense at 6-4, 238 pounds ... Threw for a career-high 332 yards in final start for Purdue against Indiana ... Has nine 200-yard passing games in career.
Cons: Has only one season of eligibility remaining ... Threw for same number of interceptions (19) at Purdue as touchdown passes ... Must learn the offense quickly and establish his presence within the team.
*****
FELEIPE FRANKS
Pros: Has excellent size (6-6, 214) and athleticism for the position ... Was a very accurate passer on deep throws and underneath routes in high school ... Is elusive and showed the kind of skills in high school that drew interest from many of the top programs around the country.
Cons: New to the program and still has much to learn ... Has a lanky frame and needs to add weight to withstand the physical nature of the college game.
*****
KYLE TRASK
Pros: Good size for a first-year player (6-4, 230) who many consider a potential sleeper ... Has showcased a powerful arm that should get stronger as he develops ... Took most of his snaps in high school from the shotgun and made a variety of throws.
Cons: Same as Franks in that he is new to the program and has a lot to learn ... Relatively inexperienced compared to Franks because he was a backup in the offensive system his high school ran ... Not a huge running threat.
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