Florida Gators : Fall Camp Questions
At last the long dark of the off-season is nearing its end. Football is less than one month away, and that means that Fall Camp is getting underway throughout the SEC. The month of August will be absolutely critical in determining how each team fares in September, October, November, and beyond. With that in mind, each team has pressing questions they have to answer before the end of the month. We will continue our series by taking a look at the questions facing Jim McElwain and the Florida Gators.
Related Story: Fall Camp Questions: Auburn Tigers
How soon will McElwain name Luke Del Rio the starting quarterback?
McElwain has not yet named a starting quarterback for this season. However, literally everyone knows that it will be Luke Del Rio. The other quarterbacks in the “competition” are Purdue transfer Austin Appleby, and true freshmen Feleipe Franks and Kyle Trask.
Appleby has the most experience, but it hasn’t been positive. He has a career completion percentage of 55. He has also thrown the same number of interceptions as he has touchdowns, with 19 apiece. He is also 2-9 as a starting quarterback. In all fairness, Purdue is a raging dumpster fire, so the record isn’t solely his fault. Still, his history doesn’t exactly inspire confidence.
Franks and Trask are both raw true freshmen. Neither one is likely to see playing time. I expect they will both redshirt, while Appleby backs up Del Rio.
Del Rio looked dominant in Florida’s Spring Game. He completed 10 of 11 passes for 176 yards and two touchdowns. None of the other three quarterbacks was anywhere close to as good. The fact is Luke Del Rio will be the starting quarterback for the Florida Gators this season.
Verdict: I think McElwain will drag the competition out until the end of Fall Camp. I think he wants to make Del Rio work for it. But ultimately he will officially win the job before Florida’s opening game against UMass.
Who Will Emerge at Running Back?
After Will Grier was suspended, Kelvin Taylor essentially was the Florida offense. Despite the fact that every defense Florida played knew they couldn’t pass, Taylor still managed to grind out 1,035 yards rushing and 13 touchdowns. But Taylor is now a San Fransisco 49er. So someone else will need to step up and take pressure off Del Rio.
Mark Thompson, Jordan Cronkrite and Jordan Scarlett are the three men vying for the starting job. Cronkrite and Scarlett are both in the neighborhood of 5’10” 210. Both are sophomores who played sparingly last season. Scarlett seemed to fare better, as he averaged 5.3 yards per carry compared to Cronkrite’s 3.6. But I don’t believe either of them will win the starting job this season. I think that role will go to Thompson.
A shift seems to be happening in the SEC. Big, tall running backs are en vogue. At 6’2″ 237, Thompson is built a lot like Derrick Henry, Leonard Fournette, and Bo Scarborough. Also, like those three backs, Thompson is faster than a man his size has any right to be.
Verdict: Thompson will win the starting job. And if Del Rio can be a threat throwing the ball, he could have a very good season.
Will Antonio Callaway be Allowed to Play?
Last season Antonio Callaway exploded on to the scene as a true freshman. He proved to be an explosive threat at both wide receiver as well as punt returner. He led the team in receiving yards, with 678, and receiving touchdowns, with four. He also ran back two punt returns for touchdowns. He was named Freshman First Team All-America by Sporting News and Pro Football Focus. He looked poised to have an even bigger season as a sophomore, but then the pig spoor hit the wind spinner.
In December Callaway was accused of sexual assault by a female Florida student. Florida then elected to have a booster, Jake Schikel, oversee the hearing. Whether or not Callaway is guilty, having such an obviously biased individual oversee the hearing is shady looking. If Callaway is unable to play it will be a big blow to the passing game as well as special teams.
Verdict: It is clear that the Florida administration is going to do everything they can to sweep this under the rug. I expect Callaway will not miss any time. And he will be Luke Del Rio’s favorite target.
The Gators have questions, as do all teams at this stage. How Coach Jim McElwain answers them will determine how well the Gators do this season. Let us know how you think he will handle them in the comments. And come back tomorrow to see which questions the Georgia Bulldogs are currently facing.