Tim Tebow only has three games left as a Gator, raising plenty of questions about what the offense will look like when he’s gone.
Saturday gave Gators fans a glimpse into the post-Tebow era, and it did not look so bad.
When Tebow did not return to field for the Gators’ second drive in the third quarter, most of the starters joined him on the sidelines, but a few key starters were left on.
Running backs Jeff Demps and Chris Rainey along with wide receiver Deonte Thompson all went back out for one drive with Tebow’s successor, John Brantley, before being taken out.
They are the only three starting skill players that are definitely returning. Wideouts Riley Cooper, David Nelson and Brandon James will all be out of eligibility after the year, and tight end Aaron Hernandez will draw plenty of attention from the NFL and could decide to leave early.
But Demps, Rainey and Thompson will be back next season as Brantley’s biggest weapons.
Although it was against FIU and it was just nine plays, the drive they all played together still showed what next year is likely to resemble.
The Gators still ran their read-option play with their speedy backs. The main difference was Brantley seemed more willing to hand the ball off instead of tucking it and running with it on his own like Tebow does.
That is no surprise considering Brantley is nowhere near the runner Tebow is.
But Brantley proved he can run when needed.
Although the play was called back because of a holding penalty, the redshirt sophomore showed some running ability, getting around the edge for a 13-yard scramble.
Even though Brantley can run, it will be on Demps, Rainey and Emmanuel Moody, who was not involved in the 2010 preview because of an ankle sprain, to drive Florida’s rushing attack without much help from the quarterback.
Brantley did show a skill that Tebow has struggled with for most of this season — the ability to spread the ball out.
Tebow has often looked locked in on Cooper and Hernandez, but on Brantley’s first drive with some of the starters, he threw six passes, spreading them out to five different targets. Of the four he completed, he hit three different receivers.
Other than Thompson, the receiving unit next year is unknown. Urban Meyer has said all season he was looking for Omarius Hines, Frankie Hammond Jr. and T.J. Lawrence, who has been out recently with a knee injury, to step up and provide depth at the position, but none of them have been able to give the Gators much meaningful time in games.
On Saturday, Hines and Hammond Jr. showed they have the ability to make plays in the passing game, especially Hines.
Four of Brantley’s nine completions were caught by Hines including a 20-yard score where he caught a short pass and made a defender miss before dragging another into the end zone.
Hammond’s lone reception from Brantley was a 31-yard touchdown on a throw that hit him right in stride, displaying the connection the pair has been building in practice.
It will certainly be weird seeing the Gators play without Tebow, but Brantley and company showed Saturday that change doesn’t always have to be a bad thing.
