There aren’t many programs that a coach can walk into and have instant success, but there are a few. The University of Florida happens to be one of the them. The state is in the top 5 nationally when it comes to fertile recruiting, especially south Florida. But you can have great players and still be a mediocre program if you have the wrong coach. My point is that the gators have not been who they really are since The Ole Ball Coach aka Steve Spurrier left town. Ok, Urban Meyer had some great seasons there with Tebow and company, but he didn’t stay around long enough to be considered in the same conversation as Spurrier. And let’s not forgot the entire Muschamp/McElwain experience in Gainesville. Whatever pride this proud program had at one time has left Gainesville.
The resurgence could make a comeback with the hiring of Dan Mullen, a former gator man himself under the wings of Urban Meyer, help lead an offense to a couple national championships and sec titles. Mullen’s offense is fun to watch, as you remember with Tim Tebow and Dak Prescott, Mullen coached both of these boys and lead them to stardom. What Mullen most now do is resurrect a once dominant program back to relevance and bring the Gators back to their former glory and into a new era. To do this though, he must win the SEC EAST, and it won’t be an easy feat with Georgia, South Carolina, and eventually Tennessee back. Mullen will also have to find a quarterback who fits his offense. He has a nice stock to consider:
Feleipe Franks (RS) – The redshirt freshman played in 11 games last season and started 8 of them. At 6’5, Franks has the body type to be a force, but he struggled with consistency last season. He threw for 9 touchdowns and 8 interceptions, so you see there are areas that needs improvement. But he’s got an arm that go the distance. Under Mullen’s guidance with the spread system, Franks has the tools to become a very good quarterback but he’s got to work on his accuracy.
Kyle Trask (RS) – Trask missed the 2017 season due to a foot injury, but had a great spring and looked sharp in the annual spring game. Mullen likes Trask decision making and ball-handling. Something Franks struggled with all last season. Trask doesn’t have the 4-5 star status like Emory Jones or Feleipe Franks, but he’s on the gator roster because he’s a great football player. He’s a student of the game and fierce competitor. The challenge for him is that can he adjust to the spread coming from a pro-style system?
Emory Jones (FR) – The 4-star prospect chose Florida over Ohio State and Alabama and was the fourth ranked dual-threat QB coming out of high school. Jones has the ideal athleticism for Mullen’s spread offense and has showcased it through the Spring. Jones played sparingly during the gators Spring game but connected for a touchdown to RJ Raymond and also looked good in his short passing game. If Jones can pickup the playbook quick, look for him to compete for some playing time this Fall.
Whoever wins the starting job at Florida, it will depend on how quick they learn Mullen’s spread system. Also, how will they do up against the growing SEC East. The division is starting to come back strong- Kirby Smart is one play away from winning a national title. Will Muschamp will be in his third season at South Carolina and is really recruiting well. And you know Jeremy Pruitt will finally make UT a contender. Needless to say, the gators will literally have to come prepared for a fight if they want to contend in the east. With all that said, gator fans should be excited with Dan Mullen as the new head man. He is an offensive guru and with his recent success at Mississippi St and previous stint at UF, he has the game plan to make Florida great again.
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