McElwain, Harbaugh mum on starting QBs

GAINESVILLE — Jim McElwain will not say. Neither will Jim Harbaugh.

The quarterback mystery shrouding Saturday’s Florida-Michigan game continued Monday, with neither head coach naming his starter.

“We have a plan that’s in place,” McElwain told reporters. “I’m not going to tell you what it is, so there’s no reason to ask, but we’re excited about that.

“We’ll leave that for them to guess, as well.”

Harbaugh told media in Ann Arbor, Mich., pretty much the same thing, noting, “We’d love to have that information” from the Gators.

McElwain certainly was pressed for it, ultimately fielding nine questions about the Gators’ situation under center.

Tiring of the quasi-interrogation, the 55-year-old finally joked he planned to open the game first-year freshman Kadarius Toney — a high school quarterback who since moved to receiver — in a Wildcat package.

McElwain insists his plan is not influenced by the approach of Harbaugh, who has not released a roster since last season. The move led one newspaper to file a Freedom of Information Act. Harbaugh’s response Monday was to update his roster with former Wolverines in the NFL.

“People have made a big deal about our roster or not announcing a starting quarterback,” Harbaugh said. “I have not seen a starting quarterback [announced at] Florida. Never any mention of that. Very interesting.”

Unlike the Gators, Harbaugh returns a starting quarterback, Wilton Speight, who was a thirdteam All-Big Ten selection in 2016. But during preseason camp, Speight has not been able distance himself from fellow senior John O’Korn, a state championship-winning quarterback at Fort Lauderdale’s St. Thomas Aquinas High.

Meanwhile, McElwain has three players vying to handle the team’s opening snap Saturday.

Redshirt junior Luke Del Rio was the season opener starter last season. But he soon would suffer a knee injury and injuries to both shoulders that eventually ended his season in November and after just six games.

Del Rio’s ailments opened the door for redshirt freshman Feleipe Franks to emerge during spring practices. Malik Zaire then arrived in June as a graduate transfer from Notre Dame to challenge both of them.

Leading up to Saturday’s kickoff, the main storyline will be who lines up at quarterback for each team.

UF’s players even are in the dark.

“I don’t know what the plan is, but I’m pretty sure It’ll work,” sophomore receiver Josh Hammond said. “We’ll roll with it.”

AP FILE Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh hasn’t released an updated depth chart since last season and won’t reveal who his starting quarterback will be for the season opener.