Florida still unsettled at QB
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida coach Jim McElwain hasn’t settled on a starting quarterback. He hasn’t even pared down the three-man competition.
McElwain said Wednesday that fourth-year junior Luke Del Rio, redshirt freshman Feleipe Franks and graduate transfer Malik Zaire will play this season, maybe even in next week’s season opener against No. 11 Michigan.
“You’re going to see a bunch of them in there playing,” McElwain said. “The three guys have done a really good job. I think there’s some things that they all bring to the table that are really good. Now the key to us is putting them in those positions, you know, that play to their strengths.
“Will all play? I don’t know yet. Will a couple of them play? I don’t know yet. I know we will have somebody at the position.”
McElwain insisted he’s not playing games with the Wolverines or trying to gain a game-planning advantage. He simply suggested that none of the three has become a clear-cut choice for the 17th-ranked Gators.
“Ultimately the guy that the team moves with the best,” he said. “The guys that create positive plays on third down and get the ball in the end zone. That’s kind of where we’re at.”
Del Rio, a college journeyman and the son of Oakland Raiders head coach Jack Del
Rio, started six games last season before sustaining a season-ending shoulder injury in a loss at Arkansas in November. He had offseason surgery on both shoulders and missed all of spring practice. He got back in the mix last month and wants to prove doubters wrong.
“My arm is 100 percent healthy,” he said last week. “I found it pretty ridiculous that fans are saying I had a noodle arm when I was throwing the ball 80 yards in the first game. So they have the memory of a goldfish I guess.