- Sep 8, 2014
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Ackerman sobered up and discusses UF's options behind Luke Del Rio:
http://gridironnow.com/luke-del-rio-other-options-florida/
Florida has options behind starter Luke Del Rio
Florida appears to be headed into the season with Luke Del Rio as the starting quarterback. I was at a majority of the spring practices and the scrimmages, and he showed me enough for me to believe he is the No. 1 guy.
That doesn’t mean there won’t be a competition during fall camp, but Del Rio has his hands on the top spot. He showed the ability to make the routine play – something the Gators could not do in the final nine games of the 2015 season – and lead an offense down the field. He was accurate, made good decisions and had a better grasp of the offense than any other quarterback. I think if Del Rio starts and ends the season as the Gators’ quarterback, Florida can find its way back to Atlanta.
What is “Plan B” for Jim McElwain if Del Rio is not the guy? Can the Gators survive another season of sub-par quarterback play? Here’s the good news: McElwain has options that look much better than those of one season ago.
The first three games should be conducive to good quarterback play, with Massachusetts, Kentucky and North Texas rolling through the Swamp. I think more than one guy will take snaps in those three games, giving coordinator Doug Nussmeier a chance to get the backups some live game repetitions. The first time Del Rio could have trouble is Game 4 in Knoxville, where Tennessee will be looking to make a statement against the Gators. This could be the first time “Plan B” could go into effect.
Graduate transfer Austin Appleby has the most experience of any quarterback on Florida’s roster. He played in 17 games and started 11 at Purdue. In down-and-distance situations during the spring, he stood out. Those are drills set up by the coaches to test their offensive and defensive game plans. For example, run five to seven plays in a scrimmage-type setting with the offense facing a third-and-7. These challenges allowed Appleby to improvise at times, and do whatever he could to get the first down.
Appleby is athletic, big and has a strong arm, and gives the offense something Del Rio can’t with his ability to move. He just needs a better grasp of the offense, which he should have by the end of fall camp. With some mop-up duty under his belt from the first three games, he will be a solid “Plan B” choice by the Tennessee game or later if things don’t work out for Del Rio.
I can promise you McElwain doesn’t want to get to “Plan C” if he doesn’t have to. I would think this could potentially become a reality if an injury occurs. Freshmen Feleipe Franks and Kyle Trask will battle during camp to see who redshirts and who doesn’t.
Conventional thinking is that whoever is better becomes the No. 3 quarterback, while the other redshirts. But that’s not necessarily the case. Some college coaches I have talked to during the offseason say that in the case of a third-stringer, if you believe one is better than the other, then you redshirt the better one. The rationale is that if the top two on the depth chart can guide you through a season, don’t blow a season of eligibility on the better of two freshmen in limited action. McElwain may travel both to give them the game-day experience while also trying to redshirt both.
The good news is there are options this season at quarterback. McElwain has quickly added depth and talent under center. Think about the quarterback depth chart next season if Del Rio plays well this season: Coaches would have Del Rio, Trask, Franks and highly touted incoming freshman Jake Allen. That would be Florida’s best depth chart at quarterback since 2008, when the names were Tebow, Newton and Brantley.
http://gridironnow.com/luke-del-rio-other-options-florida/
Florida has options behind starter Luke Del Rio
Florida appears to be headed into the season with Luke Del Rio as the starting quarterback. I was at a majority of the spring practices and the scrimmages, and he showed me enough for me to believe he is the No. 1 guy.
That doesn’t mean there won’t be a competition during fall camp, but Del Rio has his hands on the top spot. He showed the ability to make the routine play – something the Gators could not do in the final nine games of the 2015 season – and lead an offense down the field. He was accurate, made good decisions and had a better grasp of the offense than any other quarterback. I think if Del Rio starts and ends the season as the Gators’ quarterback, Florida can find its way back to Atlanta.
What is “Plan B” for Jim McElwain if Del Rio is not the guy? Can the Gators survive another season of sub-par quarterback play? Here’s the good news: McElwain has options that look much better than those of one season ago.
The first three games should be conducive to good quarterback play, with Massachusetts, Kentucky and North Texas rolling through the Swamp. I think more than one guy will take snaps in those three games, giving coordinator Doug Nussmeier a chance to get the backups some live game repetitions. The first time Del Rio could have trouble is Game 4 in Knoxville, where Tennessee will be looking to make a statement against the Gators. This could be the first time “Plan B” could go into effect.
Graduate transfer Austin Appleby has the most experience of any quarterback on Florida’s roster. He played in 17 games and started 11 at Purdue. In down-and-distance situations during the spring, he stood out. Those are drills set up by the coaches to test their offensive and defensive game plans. For example, run five to seven plays in a scrimmage-type setting with the offense facing a third-and-7. These challenges allowed Appleby to improvise at times, and do whatever he could to get the first down.
Appleby is athletic, big and has a strong arm, and gives the offense something Del Rio can’t with his ability to move. He just needs a better grasp of the offense, which he should have by the end of fall camp. With some mop-up duty under his belt from the first three games, he will be a solid “Plan B” choice by the Tennessee game or later if things don’t work out for Del Rio.
I can promise you McElwain doesn’t want to get to “Plan C” if he doesn’t have to. I would think this could potentially become a reality if an injury occurs. Freshmen Feleipe Franks and Kyle Trask will battle during camp to see who redshirts and who doesn’t.
Conventional thinking is that whoever is better becomes the No. 3 quarterback, while the other redshirts. But that’s not necessarily the case. Some college coaches I have talked to during the offseason say that in the case of a third-stringer, if you believe one is better than the other, then you redshirt the better one. The rationale is that if the top two on the depth chart can guide you through a season, don’t blow a season of eligibility on the better of two freshmen in limited action. McElwain may travel both to give them the game-day experience while also trying to redshirt both.
The good news is there are options this season at quarterback. McElwain has quickly added depth and talent under center. Think about the quarterback depth chart next season if Del Rio plays well this season: Coaches would have Del Rio, Trask, Franks and highly touted incoming freshman Jake Allen. That would be Florida’s best depth chart at quarterback since 2008, when the names were Tebow, Newton and Brantley.
