Before the future of UF's offense was centered on Tim Tebow and Percy Harvin, it was focused on a strong-armed Texan named Jevan Snead.
Snead was one of the first verbal commitments to the Gators' 2006 recruiting class, and he seemed like a perfect fit for coach Urban Meyer.
He'll finally make his debut at The Swamp on Saturday, albeit two years late and in a different uniform as he leads Mississippi against the No. 4 Gators.
Snead averaged more than 300 yards and four touchdowns per game in his final two seasons at Stephenville (Texas) High, all while running some of Meyer's plays.
"During high school, my offense was very similar to that of Florida's and coach (Urban) Meyer's when he was at Utah, so we got a lot of our offense from them," Snead said. "It felt like it would be a good fit for me at the time."
His official visit for the UF-Tennessee game that season - the same weekend that Harvin was in town - further cemented his decision. The recruiting race for Harvin was still wide-open, and since Tebow had a long list of schools to choose from, Snead looked like the best bet to be running the show in Gainesville.
But his orange-and-blue dreams didn't last long.
He said this week that it was too long ago to remember, but according to the book "Meat Market," which focused on college football recruiting, Meyer told Snead in 2005 that he was recruiting Tebow as a linebacker.
Meyer and Tebow both denied that this week, with Tebow responding simply, "No, never," but at any rate, when Snead realized he wasn't the only quarterback on Meyer's wish list, he switched his commitment to Texas.
"I guess it was a little frustrating, but I decided that it wouldn't be the best situation for me (at UF)," Snead said. "I decided to withdraw my commitment, and fortunately it has worked out for both Florida and myself."
Tebow and Harvin both signed on soon after Snead bolted, and their careers have gone quite differently.
Snead saw playing time with the Longhorns, but it was apparent that fellow freshman Colt McCoy had won the job, so Snead transferred to Ole Miss, where he has started all four games this season.
His performances have ranged from promising (a 253-yard, four touchdown day in a narrow loss to Wake Forest) to awful (four interceptions and no scores last week against Vanderbilt), but it's clear that the respect that drove Meyer to recruit Snead at Utah and UF is still there.
"We think he's a tremendous talent," Meyer said. "He's got great touch and great release on the ball, and he launches it. They'll throw it down the field. He's not much more experienced than any of these guys, but he's as talented as anybody in the country."
Snead will be the fourth inexperienced quarterback the Gators have faced in as many games, but his arm strength poses a new threat. UF hasn't been tested against the deep ball this season, and defensive coordinator Charlie Strong said the key will be keeping Snead from getting comfortable in the pocket.
Snead said he has "no hard feelings" toward Meyer or the Gators, but if he's able to settle in, expect a few long tosses that could be the difference between an upset and a blowout.
"I'd like to take advantage of that," Snead said. "Anytime I have a chance to throw a deep ball, it's definitely a good thing."
