UF’s Mullen still undecided on starting QB

GAINESVILLE UF coach Dan Mullen is not ready to decide on a starting quarterback, but he would like to following Sunday’s scrimmage.

When anyone else finds out is another issue entirely.

“I’d like to have an answer after the next scrimmage. I don’t know if I’ll share it with everybody,” Mullen told reporters Wednesday. “I’d like for me to have an answer.”

Mullen was not closer to one following the team’s first preseason scrimmage, staged Monday evening in the Swamp.

Mullen said redshirt sophomores Feleipe Franks and Kyle Trask, along with their teammates, must continue to learn the offense and develop confidence in their knowledge of the playbook.

“If one guy makes a mistake on offense, part of it is the guys understanding the scheme. ‘Uh, oh, something went wrong on that play,’” Mullen said. “And everyone is like, ‘Was that me?’ No, the left guard went the wrong way. Have confidence in you know what you’re doing.

“It had nothing to do with you, but make your reads. When it does come to you, you need to go make the plays and make decisions.”

It becomes increasingly difficult for a quarterback to make plays and sound decisions when faced with game situations at game speed. One reason, Mullen said, is quarterbacks these days develop their passing skills during 7-on-7 camps.

“When we go to 7-on-7, now, they can light it up,” he said. “Everybody goes to 7-on-7 camps all summer and 7-on-7 this and 7-on-7 that. Then all of a sudden you put pass rush, you put some more guys in some blitzes, you’re hot, you have to do some other things. Different story.”

Center position up for grabs

T.J. McCoy started 13 games the past two seasons at center, but it remains unclear who will line up there for the Sept. 1 opener against Charleston Southern.

McCoy, a redshirt junior who played at Clermont South Lake, has been working mostly with the secondand third-team offenses. Redshirt junior Nick Buchanan, who appeared in just three games the past two seasons, has been working more than anyone with the first unit. Redshirt junior Nick Villano is in the mix, too, despite never playing in a college game.

Buchanan, listed a 6-foot-3, 291 pounds, and Villano (6-3, 290) are bigger than the undersized McCoy, who is generously listed at 6-foot-1 and 305 pounds.

“You don’t have center, it makes life really hard because you can’t even snap the ball,” Mullen said. “It kind of starts there so we try to get a bunch of guys reps, but I think that’s a pretty wide-open competition at that spot.”

Both tackle spots, Martez Ivey on the left side and Jawaan Taylor on the right, and Fred Johnson at right guard appear set. Brett Heggie started at left guard last season until a season-ending injury and has been limited at training camp with a foot ailment. Tyler Jordan, who can play center, has lined up at left guard.

Whatever the combination, the Gators need to improve up front. The O-line’s inconsistency has been as big an issue as quarterback in recent seasons.

Mullen said the firstteam offensive line still has room to improve, but his bigger concern is developing reserves capable of stepping in for a starter due to fatigue or injury.

“It’s the depth there that I’m worried about; the acceleration of the next group of the next group of guys being ready to get on the field and not skipping the beat,” Mullen said. “That’s where I wish we were a little bit farther along.”

Lenton done for the season

For the second time in three years, defensive back Quincy Lenton will miss the season due to injury.

Mullen said Lenton tore his Achilles tendon this week and had surgery Wednesday. In 2016, Lenton broke his foot and needed season-ending surgery.

Lenton, a redshirt sophomore, was vying with sophomore Donovan Stiner for the role of Gators’ backup free safety, behind sophomore Brad Stewart.

Freshman Iverson Clement lined up at safety Wednesday after spending the first two weeks of camp at running back.