Driskel clearly the guy

[News Bot]

I’m curious to see just how deep into the spring Will Muschamp will continue to tell us that the competition for the starting role at quarterback is wide open. Maybe it’s only fair to say that sophomore Skyler Mornhinweg and true freshman Will Grier have a chance to start, but the reality is the Gators already know who their quarterback is. It’s Jeff Driskel.

Anyone who has watched spring practice can see that. Driskel is clearly UF’s best quarterback (and best fit in Kurt Roper’s spread, up-tempo offense). He’s more physically mature than the others, has a stronger arm and better mechanics, and is a better athlete and runner.

Driskel was the nation’s No. 1 dual-threat quarterback coming out of high school, and his skill set appears a perfect fit for what Roper wants to do with this UF offense.

Just a few weeks ago, Muschamp revealed that when he went in search of a new offensive coordinator in December, he was looking for a guy whose offense would be compatible with the things his quarterback does best. When he said “his quarterback”, he was not talking about Mornhinweg or Grier. He was talking about Driskel.

Muschamp hasn’t said it, but it’s obvious he’s expecting his veteran quarterback (Driskel) to flourish in Roper’s offense. Muschamp was feeling the same way about Driskel in Brent Pease’s offense heading into last season — because in training camp, Driskel had consistently shredded UF’s experienced and talented secondary.

Unfortunately for the Gators (and Driskel), he was knocked out for the season in the first quarter of the third game with a broken lower leg and never had a chance to show everyone what the coaches had seen in August.

Florida fans may not be all that high on Driskel, given some of his past mistakes, but the Florida coaches are. And, from what I’m hearing, so are a lot of coaches and scouts in the NFL.

The bottom line is the real competition at quarterback this spring is the one between Mornhinweg and Grier to decide who is No. 2 behind Driskel.

Source: GatorSports.com - Robbie's Playbook

 

[DRU2012]

OK--Yeah, we all (well, most of us who follow Gator football with clear eyes) know that JD, if healthy and seemingly fully back from his injury, would be the clear "assumptive starter" going into Spring--and ideally, under the new OC, would come on strong and STAY there going into August and the actual season...The "real race" was supposed to be for back-up. However, in addition to that being an important, interesting story in its own right--ie. the realities and strategies involved in who will be his back-up, and how we KEEP the other guy(s), who among the rest would be red-shirted (gotta figure it'd be one of the two highly-rated new recruits, if we wanted to avoid a "double Driskel/Brisset" fiasco), and so on--between the uncertainties of Driskel's health, protection and actual realization of all his supposed "upside", and the enormous promise embodied in BOTH incoming freshmen, well, who knows what a long, tough season in the SEC will bring?
This much we can probably assume: The degree of success this team finds in 2014 itself probably depends upon JD staying healthy and coming through--though the ongoing development of at least one of the new kids will clearly be a pivotal part of whatever this team can BE in seasons ahead. Muschamp needs JD to be everything he was SUPPOSED to be NOW in order to lead us into that future, but one of the new QBs has to at least begin to show great promise, poise and development for us to really dominate over time once more. Let's face it: We expect no less.