Do you trust Jim McElwain?
In the end, that’s what this debate boils down to, really. Not practice updates. Not the premonitions of teammates. Not the whispers on online UF message boards, or even analysis from reporters like me.
Only McElwain and UF’s coaching staff know the answer to who will be Florida’s starting quarterback come Sept. 2. And, as of Wednesday, McElwain didn’t have an answer.
Speaking to reporters in the press box level of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, McElwain said he has not made a decision on a starting quarterback. In fact, he said, “I think they’re all going to play.” Then he said “Will all play? I don’t know yet. Will a couple of them play? I don’t know yet.”
McElwain then proceeded to shoot down a question about whether he is playing mind games — purposefully not naming a starter to motivate his players and crank up the quarterback competition.
“(I’m) absolutely, definitively not doing that,” he said. “There are no mind games.”
There you have it. Now we’re all caught up. You know as much as I do, as much as anyone outside the Florida Gators program does. Absolutely, definitively.
So let’s put aside our biases, trust McElwain’s word for the sake of this debate, and examine this together.
I think it would have been a mistake to name a starting quarterback, especially if the competition is as close as McElwain has made it out to be. Unless a player had clearly surpassed the rest of the competition, I think it would have been a mistake to name Feleipe Franks, the redshirt freshman, or Malik Zaire, the Notre Dame transfer, or Luke Del Rio, the incumbent, the starter. It would have been a rushed move that would have pandered to the fan base, a move that would have been a clear sign of an inexperienced, self-conscious coach.
And, let’s face it, whether you trust McElwain or not, he is neither of those things.
Keeping the quarterback competition open was the right thing to do. And if McElwain never declares a starter this season, I wouldn’t blame him. Franks may be too inexperienced. Zaire might be too much of a wild card. Del Rio may not be good enough to get the Gators to where they want to get to: the College Football Playoff.
But a combination of all three? Maybe. Probably not, but maybe.
But enough about what I think.
Let’s get to you.
If you’re a Gators fan, you’re likely either one of two people: team Franks or team Zaire. It’s difficult to imagine many fans clamoring for another season of Del Rio, however unfair that may be to Del Rio, who was actually fairly serviceable in the six games he played last year, compiling a 5-1 record.
But, I get it. Seeking out change is a natural human desire. To seek out the fresh, new way of doing things, rather than sticking with the safe, old way. It’s how we elect our presidents. It’s how we choose our quarterbacks.
But is it how McElwain chooses his?
If you trust his word, the third-year Florida coach made clear on Wednesday that he was open to operating a three-quarterback system. Or, McElwain said, he might go with a two-quarterback system. Or a one-quarterback system. Maybe a no-quarterback system. Maybe a just-throw-kicker-Eddy-Pineiro-out-there system. The point is, at this point in fall camp, anything goes.
And that’s a good thing. That’s better than a rushed decision. That’s better than McElwain handing the starting job to an unproven player like Franks just because the fans want him to.
So whether you trust McElwain or not, take solace in the fact that at least he isn’t a coach who cripples under outside pressure and makes a hurried choice.
At least he’s a coach who weighs his options and makes decisions on his own time.
Because, if you had to pick, which of those coaches would you be more inclined to trust?
Ian Cohen is a sports writer. You can contact him at icohen@alligator.org and follow him on Twitter @icohenb.
Florida football coach Jim McElwain paces the sideline during UF's 31-13 loss against Florida State on Nov. 26, 2016, in Tallahassee.
