Florida Gators

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – In a sense, the fact Steve Spurrier roamed the sidelines last week at one of Florida's spring practices offered a bit of flashback irony.

Not since Spurrier's return to his alma mater as head coach in 1990 have the Gators faced a quarterback dilemma such as the one second-year head coach Jim McElwain now faces.

As Spurrier launched his first spring camp at Florida 26 years ago, the UF quarterback situation was as unsettled as the one McElwain is currently sifting through for answers.

And much like speculation today – that transfers Luke Del Rio and Austin Appleby are the front-runners to start the first game in McElwain's second season – many expected Spurrier to roll out a transfer starter in the season opener.

Spurrier inherited four returning quarterbacks in Kyle Morris, Lex Smith, Donald Douglas and an untested sophomore named Shane Matthews. He also had Purdue transfer Brian Fox, the 1988 Big Ten Freshman of the Year from West Orange High in Orlando. Fox left Purdue after head coach Fred Akers scuttled a pro-style passing offense for a run-and-shoot attack.

Spurrier had recruited Fox heavily when he was coach at Duke, and after Fox sat out the 1989 season due to NCAA transfer rules, Spurrier appeared to have his quarterback of the future. Of course, Matthews had other ideas and was the initial record-setting slinger in the Fun 'N Gun during Spurrier's first three seasons at UF.

Meanwhile, Fox threw 30 career passes with the Gators and quietly faded into history. The Gators haven't had another transfer quarterback with as strong a chance to earn the starting job since.

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To those Gators fans who packed Ben Hill Griffin Stadium during Spurrier's 12-year run and, later, Urban Meyer's six-year tenure, the dark days of Florida's recent quarterback play finally seemed about to end a season ago when redshirt freshman Will Grier won the job over Treon Harris and the Gators were 6-0 at midseason.

But Grier's midseason suspension and eventual transfer, and Harris' unsteady play and suspension this spring, have opened the door for Del Rio and Appleby to capitalize on second chances. And to help boost Florida's passing attack, which finished 87th in the FBS a season ago (207.1 yards per game).

Following their first scrimmage of camp, McElwain said this week there is no clear-cut favorite to win the job halfway into spring camp. Del Rio's biggest advantage is his familiarity with the offense after transferring from Oregon State and sitting out last season.

"I knew they were going to run this offense," Del Rio said. "I felt really comfortable coming here."

The son of Oakland Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio, the 6-foot-1, 213-pound Del Rio has tools that impress both McElwain and offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier.

 

"The guy's been around football,'' Nussmeier said. "He's got great demeanor, great confidence in his ability and it's really good in the locker room."

Del Rio is well-traveled.

He split his prep career at three schools, first at Jacksonville Bolles and later Jacksonville Episcopal High. When his father was let go as head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars and hired as defensive coordinator in Denver, Del Rio finished his high school career at Valor Christian in Highlands Ranch, Colo.
He didn't go unnoticed by McElwain, then head coach at Colorado State.

"We did everything we could to recruit him there,'' McElwain said. "You could just tell the guy had something to him."

Instead, Del Rio passed on a verbal commitment to Oklahoma State to walk-on at Alabama, where he spent the 2013 season while Nussmeier was the offensive coordinator. He transferred to Oregon State and played in three games in 2014, and then decided to transfer to Florida after Beavers coach Mike Riley left for Nebraska.

Del Rio is ready for his shot to start but understands Appleby and true freshmen Feleipe Franks and Kyle Trask are here for a reason.

"It's an open competition," Del Rio said. "We're all doing everything we can do in our power to earn the starting job. I've been here, but I don't think that makes me No. 1 right now. I have to earn it."

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If Del Rio's strength is his knowledge of McElwain's system, Appleby's is his experience on the field. A 6-foot-4, 235-pound product of North Canton (Ohio) High, Appleby played in 17 games at Purdue and started 11.

Appleby is a graduate transfer who has been hard to miss riding his scooter around campus since enrolling in graduate school to study sports management in January. He spoke to local media for the first time after Wednesday's practice and made clear his intention in a quarterback battle expected to carry over until the fall.

"I didn't come here to not play,'' he said. "I came here to compete and earn this stating job. The way I do that is just be me. If I take care of the things I need to take care of, control what I can control, I believe everything will take care of itself."
 

Unlike Del Rio, Appleby had no previous connection to McElwain or his coaching staff. While he was interested in Florida coming out of high school in the 2012 signing class, the Gators had a pair of young quarterbacks in Jeff Driskel and Jacoby Brissett, and Appleby landed at Purdue.

He threw for 2,777 yards, 19 touchdowns and 19 interceptions with the Boilermakers, including a career-high 332 yards against Indiana in his final game. Still, having suffered more than 30 losses during his Purdue career, Appleby wanted a fresh start and this time, the Gators were interested.

"My teammates and coaches have welcomed me with open arms,'' Appleby said. "It's been like I was here for four years. There's an unbelievable opportunity here and they expressed it to me."

While the Gators have a history of quarterbacks transferring from the program for what they perceive as greener pastures elsewhere, they haven't had a transfer quarterback start a game in the modern era according to research.

Brian Schottenheimer, a transfer from Kansas who primarily served as a clipboard holder during his three seasons at UF, replaced Danny Wuerffel briefly in the 1996 season opener and threw Florida's first touchdown pass of that season, but Wuerffel's benching was short-lived and he led the Gators to their first national championship.

Junior-college transfer running back Mark Thompson arrived the same time as Appleby and has been impressed by both transfer quarterbacks. In Thompson's view, Franks and Trask have a lot of talent, too.

"Luke and Austin, they are very good quarterbacks,'' Thompson said. "They can throw the ball and they can make their reads. So can Feleipe and Kyle. It's very good competition. We're going to have a great quarterback come out of the four of those."

Twenty-six years ago, Spurrier had five in the mix. The fifth-stringer won the job and the transfer was barely heard from again.

McElwain said he likes the way both Del Rio and Appleby have shown command of the huddle in camp. He isn't ready to name a starter, but if either wins the job, McElwain sounds content if Florida's long history without a transfer quarterback starter ends.

"You can tell they've got a little something – they've done it before,'' he said. "In Austin's case, he's played in a heck of a league and in some real big stadiums. In Luke's case, he's been awful hungry to get out there."
 

TRANSFER QB SUCCESS STORIES

Player	Year	From	To	Notable
Jake Rudock	2015	Iowa	Michigan	Fifth-year senior, threw for 3,017 yards, 20 TDs
Vernon Adams	2015	E.Washington	Oregon	Fifth-year senior threw for 26 TDs, led Ducks to Alamo Bowl
Michael Brewer	2014	Texas Tech	Virginia Tech	Two bowl wins as Hokies starter
Andrew Hendrix	2014	Notre Dame	Miami (Ohio)	Fifth-year senior threw for 3,280 yards, 23 TDs
Wes Lunt	2013	Oklahoma St.	Illinois	Enters senior season in 2016 with 4,524 career yards
Gunner Kiel	2013	Notre Dame	Cincinnati	A senior in 2016 who has thrown for 50 TDs past two seasons
Jacoby Brissett	2013	Florida	N.C. State	Threw for 5,268 yards and 43 TDs as two-year starter
Garrett Gilbert	2012	Texas	SMU	Spent two seasons as Mustangs' starter, throwing for 6,460 yards
Russell Wilson	2011	N.C. State	Wisconsin	Fifth-year senior threw for 33 TDs on way to Rose Bowl
Nick Foles	2008	Michigan St.	Arizona	Three-year starter for Wildcats had 10,011 yards, 67 TDs
Ryan Mallett	2008	Michigan	Arkansas	Tossed 62 TDs in two seasons with Hogs
Jevan Snead	2007	Texas	Ole Miss	Led Rebels to 19-9 record, 46 TD passes
Brock Berlin	2002	Florida	Miami	Passed for 5,099 yards and 34 TDs in two seasons
Troy Aikman	1986	Oklahoma	UCLA	Pac-10 Offensive Player of Year in '87

Chart credit: Turner Street, UAA Communications intern