This next statement defies all logic.
But here it is: Tim Tebow, arguably the greatest college football player ever, is gone, and Florida’s offense will be better off because of it.
Now, I know we have all been taught that if A is greater than B, then AC must be greater than BC. While that may be consistently true in math, it isn’t in sports.
Chances are that current Gators quarterback John Brantley will never possess the type of game-breaking ability or overall skill that Tebow displayed each Saturday.
However, Brantley is the right one to lead this season’s offense.
Tebow needed former UF wide receiver Percy Harvin, who was named The Associated Press 2009 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, in order to succeed and hide his deficiencies in the passing game.
He was asked to do more last season in the absence of Harvin and the offense struggled at times because of it. Tebow’s game became predictable with a quick-strike aerial attack that targeted a select group of receivers and a good amount of quarterback dive plays mixed in.
This year, coach Urban Meyer is still looking for the guy to replace Harvin.
However, Brantley will succeed either way.
This quarterback will keep you guessing. A versatile decoy like Harvin isn’t necessary.
He doesn’t depend on one stud receiver to help him, he gets everybody involved.
Let’s compare the numbers.
In a Tebow-led offense, wide receiver Riley Cooper and tight end Aaron Hernandez combined to accumulate 1,811 receiving yards (55% of the team’s receiving yards), 119 catches (48 percent of the team’s completed passes) and 14 receiving touchdowns (50 percent of the touchdowns through the air).
On the contrary, Brantley did not discriminate.
In the seven games he played last season, Brantley threw an average of about seven passes in those contests. Out of those measly seven passes, an average of about three different receivers caught the ball.
In other words, Brantley spreads the ball around, which keeps defenses from focusing its coverage on certain receivers.
The redshirt junior completed 36 of his 48 passes in mop-up duty for Tebow last season and threw for seven touchdowns. That’s one endzone celebration for about every seventh passing play.
This speaks volumes for his ability to complete long passes and grab chunks of yards at a time. He doesn’t need a Harvin-type player to create the big plays for him with yards after the catch.
Tebow, on the other hand, needed about 15 passes for every touchdown he threw last year because of the short-pass offense that was implemented to cater to his strengths.
So, in the spring when Deonte Thompson was quoted as referring to Brantley as a “real quarterback,” maybe, just maybe, he knew what he was talking about.
