After all the dust has cleared from the countrywide holiday that is National Signing Day, one thing still confuses me.
Jacoby Brissett to the Gators? Really?
Brissett, the country’s third-best dual-threat quarterback prospect, was down to Miami, Wisconsin and Florida. Yet he chose to come to Gainesville and join Jeff Driskel, the top-rated pro-style quarterback in this year’s class.
Not only is that unusual, but in an era of momma’s boys, Brissett chose UF against the wishes of his mother, who wanted him to become a Hurricane.
Huh?
But this isn’t new — at least not for Florida.
The last team to convince two of the top three quarterbacks in a recruiting class to commit to the same school was Florida in 2007, when Urban Meyer signed the No. 3 pro-style quarterback, John Brantley, and the No. 2 dual-threat quarterback, Cam Newton.
Since then, Brantley has disappointed and Newton won a Heisman while leading Auburn to a national championship.
Meyer’s decision to trust Brantley over Newton as Tim Tebow’s successor completely shifted the college football world, as UF endured a five-loss season in 2010 and the Tigers won the title.
But Meyer had a simpler task when he was posed with the dilemma because Tebow was still in the fold for two more seasons. Will Muschamp doesn’t have that luxury.
The new coach will likely be faced with the same scenario, and his initial level of success will depend on his choice.
Brantley isn’t exactly Tebow, and one slip-up will ignite the whole fan base to call for the freshmen.
This means Muschamp will likely make his initial decision between Driskel and Brissett sooner rather than later.
Driskel has the advantage right now since he decided to enroll early. But once Brissett arrives in the fall, all bets are off.
Don’t get me wrong: It’s a good problem to have for Florida. But it’s only good if Muschamp makes the right choice. If not, the scenario can only lead to regrets.
This whole thing feels like one of those game shows where a bunch of women describe themselves to a potential suitor over a microphone while lined up behind a curtain, and the man is posed with the challenge of avoiding the unattractive ones.
The man in UF’s situation is clearly Muschamp. But the beautiful girl is still unknown.
Only one will stay at Florida, and the odd one out will likely transfer, much like Newton did.
However, this time it is on Muschamp to make sure the quarterback who wins a Heisman and a national championship is doing it for the Gators.
