Published March 15, 2011 - 5:23am
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This past season was a nightmare for Florida offensively. They had three quarterbacks, and when you have three, you have none. Urban Meyer would rotate his quarterbacks, behind the brilliance of offensive coordinator Steve Addazio, sometimes playing all three in one series on offense. It was a complete disaster because none of them were set up to succeed or gain any kind of confidence.
However, now, there is a new sheriff in town by the name of Charlie Weis. Weis recently expressed there would be no shuffling the quarterbacks around, and that he was “a one quarterback guy”. So, no more Trey Burton, Jordan Reed and John Brantley on the same series? Everyone knew this was coming, but Florida fans loved to hear the sound of those words.
Now, the job has to be pro-style quarterback John Brantley’s to lose, and right behind him will be heralded freshmen Jeff Driskel and Jacoby Brissett. Driskel will get the head start on Brissett because he is already enrolled and will have one round of spring practice under his belt. Also, Charlie Weis did express that Driskel is a classic drop-back quarterback who is athletic enough to sneak out of the pocket and break off a big one.
Going into spring practice, this has to be one of the main concerns for the Florida coaching staff. Will Muschamp and Weis have to focus on getting production from the offense. This spring will be key for Florida’s success on the offensive side of the ball for both the quarterback position and the offensive line.
I fully expect Florida to be better on offense in 2011. However, the new system will take some time to learn. One thing is for sure – the defense has loads of talent, and it will be stout.
Spring’s Biggest Concern
The biggest concern for the Florida Gators during the spring is developing depth along the offensive line. Muschamp and Weis both expressed concerns about the lack of depth with the big uglies. However, they are going to cross-train the O Line to hopefully build depth and experience.
