GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Two common themes stood true in
Jim McElwain's first two seasons at Florida. First, a quarterback battle headlined the start of preseason camp, and second, the Gators played in the SEC Championship Game at the end of the regular season.
One is already in place to begin his third season, which is not exactly breaking news from Florida's annual Football Media Day on Wednesday afternoon.
Still, when the Gators open their first practice of camp on Thursday, most eyes will be on the quarterbacks. As the Gators reported to camp on Wednesday, McElwain was asked to shed some light on the battle between quarterbacks
Malik Zaire,
Luke Del Rio and
Feleipe Franks.
"It's even,'' he said. "I like having options. It's when you don't have options that sometimes you beat your head against the wall. In this case it's a real positive."
How soon will he announce the starter with the season opener against Michigan a month away?
"We'll see. I haven't put a deadline on it,'' McElwain said. "We'll see where it goes."
The competition has shifted since spring when redshirt freshmen Franks and
Kyle Trask battled for the top spot. Franks ended camp atop the depth chart but that was before Zaire, a fifth-year graduate transfer from Notre Dame, joined the mix. In addition, Del Rio is back on the field throwing. He missed all of spring camp due to injury.
Franks faced the cameras Wednesday and said he is going to try and win the job, too, and get better in the process. McElwain has seen nothing that makes him think Franks has thrown in the towel.
"This is another challenge that is going to help him elevate his play,'' McElwain said. "I think he's a guy that's ready to do this."
McElwain stressed that competition is a major theme of his third camp, not only at quarterback, but several key positions where a clear frontrunner to start has not emerged.
"This camp is going to be uncomfortable for our guys,'' McElwain said.
As for the competition for snaps, McElwain is optimistic that by the time camp ends, the Gators will be fine with whoever starts when they face Michigan on Sept. 2 in Arlington, Texas.
He is impressed with the way Zaire, who already knows Florida's playbook after studying it closely over the summer, has quickly forged a presence in the locker room.
"By all indications, he's a great teammate,'' McElwain said. "He is obviously on a mission, and he's here to help us win a game and win a bunch of games. The one really good thing [Malik's addition] brings, it brings great competition to the position."
Meanwhile, Del Rio, coming off two offseason shoulder surgeries, started six games last season and the Gators went 5-1. He said Wednesday he contemplated retiring as a player but was urged to give it more thought by the coaching staff. He decided to return to see if he can win back the job he owned in last year's opener.
"It will be interesting to see where he's at coming off his injuries," McElwain said. "But he's definitely in the plans."
