Jacoby Brissett smiled when asked about the potential of starting at quarterback for Florida.
Brissett signed with the Gators three days after National Signing Day. The former Dwyer quarterback arrived at Florida against the wishes of his mother, who preferred Miami.
Jeff Driskel, the top-ranked quarterback, already spent a spring in Gainesville learning the offense. Brissett was behind before he even arrived.
“The opportunity to compete with the No. 1 quarterback in the country is what drove me everyday,” he said. “It still does to this day. That’s what I’m standing next to.”
Both players earned playing time last season due to injuries to former Gator John Brantley. With Brantley gone, this is their job to lose. Coach Will Muschamp doesn’t mind overseeing a quarterback battle.
“Competition is the best motivator for any player to understand that he needs to play better,” Muschamp said. “That promotes the consistency and performance in our league in order to be successful.”
Florida held a scrimmage Aug. 11 inside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
Redshirt senior wide receiver Frankie Hammond, Jr. feels the pressure of performing for the potential starting quarterbacks. Hammond and the Gators spent the summer learning a new offensive playbook.
“They’re trying to come out there and be perfect every day,” Hammond said. “You can see it from day one. Whether it is a dropped ball, incomplete or anything, they get pissed. They get on themselves. They get on us, because they want that perfection. They know it’s a position battle right now.”
Hammond called Driskel the faster of the two, but said Brissett better fits the mold of a pocket passer.
Driskel saw action in four of his first five games at Florida. With Brantley sidelined with a right leg injury and Driskel resting a sprained ankle, the coaches gave Brissett the start against LSU in Baton Rouge.
Florida lost by 30 points, and Brissett tallied just 94 yards on 14 pass attempts with two picks.
Brissett played in eight games, while Driskel appeared in five. They combined for 354 passing yards and two touchdowns tosses last season.
With new offensive coordinator Brent Pease, the quarterbacks organized summer team workouts to learn the plays. Driskel felt the workouts help the team grasp the offense and the quarterbacks work on leadership.
“We would have a list we would run through every day,” Driskel said.
“We would all get equal reps and all go through it. If there was a mistake we would coach it up and rep it again.”
The formula is simple for Brissett and Driskel. Brissett, who said he brought “smiles and a good attitude,” has an idea of what it’ll take to earn the nod.
“It’s all the same things,” Brissett said. “Put the ball in the end zone, score touchdowns and make sure you go win.”
Consistency will determine the starter, Muschamp said. There is no timetable for his decision.
“We’ll know when the decision is right,” Muschamp said.
“I really feel that way. I’ve felt that way about every position. We’ll know when it’s right.”
Contact Adam Pincus at apincus@alligator.org.
