GAINESVILLE, Fla. – When Jim McElwain took the Florida job in December 2014, he made a joke about having so much confidence in his offense that he could win with his dog at quarterback. At the time, it was good for a few chuckles as a preview of McElwain’s folksy humor. Two seasons of offenses ranked in the triple digits and a 19-8 record later, the joke doesn’t get the same kind of laughs.

Entering his third year on the job, McElwain will be overseeing his third quarterback battle. None have involved his dog, Claire-a-bell – yet.

After two seasons of McElwain coaching quarterbacks he inherited (Will Grier and Treon Harris) and quarterbacks he signed as transfers (Luke Del Rio and Austin Appleby), this could be the year we finally get to see McElwain coach a quarterback he signed out of high school. After Del Rio’s struggles in 2016, all eyes are on redshirt freshmen Feleipe Franks and Kyle Trask.

Franks and Trask took different paths to Florida. Franks was a 4-star recruit out of Wakulla High in Crawfordville, Fla., the No. 5 pro-style quarterback and on the radar of many Power 5 programs, including UF and LSU. The Tigers had Franks’ pledge at the start of the 2015 season, but the uncertainty surrounding Les Miles’ situation along with Florida’s pitch of being closer to home and the possibility of early playing time led him to flip his commitment.

Trask’s recruitment was not nearly as high-profile. The Gators shocked the college football world when they offered Trask, a backup on his own Manvel, Texas, high school team, on July 25. He committed the next day. McElwain and offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier were impressed watching Trask throw in person.

At Florida, we’ve only seen Franks and Trask in game-like situations during the spring game. At that time, Trask appeared to be the one more ready to see the field in the fall, as he was more comfortable with the offense and mechanically sharper. Franks appeared to be overwhelmed by the moment, throwing three interceptions in his first four passing attempts. He looked like the more obvious redshirt candidate of the two, but things changed.

Any time Del Rio was injured this past season, McElwain claimed that Franks was the backup to Appleby. Franks obviously did not get to play in any actual games, but if McElwain was being truthful, just being the backup is a significant sign of the freshman’s progress.

Fans shouldn’t get too excited over Franks’ progress since he did not see the field, but if he was already ahead of Trask in September (Tennessee game when he was Appleby’s backup), it’s an indication he is responding well to McElwain and Nussmeier’s coaching. With his 6-foot-6, 219-pound frame and well-documented arm strength, Franks should have an edge if he proves he can handle the mental aspect of the game.

Still, it might be unfair to give up on Del Rio just yet. He is, after all, someone McElwain first noticed in 8th grade and the only experienced quarterback on the roster.

His stats from this season aren’t impressive (114 of 201, 1,358 yards, 8 TDs, 8 INTs), but it’s worth pointing out that he was injured during two of the six games he played in and might not have been fully healed after his knee injury in Week 3. McElwain said that when Del Rio injured his shoulder against Arkansas, the last game he appeared in, he wasn’t forthcoming about his injury.

Whether it’s Del Rio, Franks or Trask leading the way in 2016, McElwain needs this to be the year it all comes together at the quarterback position. As the Florida defense continues to lose key starters to the NFL Draft, it’s quite clear that it won’t be the same dominant unit able to do the heavy lifting week in, week out in the SEC. The offense will actually have to outscore a few opponents to make the 2017 season a successful one for the Gators.

And that offense has the potential to be good. The Gators will return two established play-makers and solid depth at wide receiver, a feature running back and two complementary ball-carriers, and an offensive line with several multi-year starters. The goal for 2017 is simple for McElwain – make sure the fans stop asking to see Claire-a-bell at quarterback.