To heck with the two-quarterback system, the Florida Gators might very well roll three quarterbacks out there in their season opener against Michigan in less than two weeks.
Gators head coach Jim McElwain indicated as much recently.
“You’re going to see a bunch of them in there playing. The three guys have done a really good job. Not naming a starter right now,” McElwain said, via CBS Sports. “I think that there’s some things that they all bring to the table that are really good. Now the key to us is putting them in those positions that play to their strengths.”
It seemed to be a foregone conclusion that Notre Dame transfer Malik Zaire would be named the team’s starter after the NCAA ruled him eligible for this season. But the former Irish standout has failed to separate himself from the pack.
It’s in this that freshman Feleipe Franks and red-shirt junior Luke Del Rio, son of Oakland Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio, will likely also see action against the Wolverines.
Of the three quarterbacks, Del Rio has the most experience. He attempted 201 passes for the Gators last season, throwing eight touchdowns compared to eight interceptions in the process. Meanwhile, Franks was a four-star recruit from Florida and the fifth-best quarterback in his class.
Florida enters the season ranked 17th in the initial Associated Press preseason poll. How these quarterbacks perform will tell us whether the Gators are true contenders in the ultra-competitive SEC this year.