Austin Appleby will be Florida’s starting quarterback when it hosts South Carolina this weekend,
There was some speculation coach Jim McElwain might turn to true freshmen Feleipe Franks or Kyle Trask in the wake of Luke Del Rio’s shoulder injury. But McElwain is going back to the graduate transfer from Purdue, he announced Wednesday during the SEC coaches teleconference.
Appleby started two games earlier this season, a 10-point loss at Tennessee and a 7-point win against Vanderbilt, while Del Rio was out with a leg injury. McElwain said Franks will be the second-string quarterback, while Trask will be “in the bullpen” if needed.
The coach said he isn’t sure if he wants Franks to maintain his redshirt. The Gators, after all, are still fighting to keep their lead in the SEC East.
“We are not afraid at any point to play him,” McElwain said. “Austin will take the first snaps. If we need a spark, Franks could be that guy. It’s not always that position, sometimes it’s on the guys around him on offense.”
Florida (6-2, 4-2) hosts surging South Carolina (5-4, 3-4) at 12 p.m. ET on Saturday.
Marcus covers SEC football for Saturday Down South.
