The Gators got their man.
No, I’m not talking about Adam Berry’s return from his little hiatus from the Alligator, or UF hitting on some recruit, or even Janoris Jenkins’ surprising decision to return for his senior season. I’m referring to John Brantley, a quarterback who threw for nine touchdowns and 10 interceptions while leading Florida to a five-loss season last year.
Now, before you chastise me for my stupidity, hear me out.
Brantley is the only pro-style passer on UF’s roster heading into next season.
Sure, Jordan Reed was the popular choice last year in Urban Meyer’s spread offense, but when Will Muschamp was hired, Reed’s chances to start went out the window. And we all know Trey Burton’s throwing ability is limited.
That leaves fans with superstar recruit and incoming freshman Jeff Driskel, who is the No. 1-rated quarterback, according to Rivals.com. But he ran a spread offense in high school, so the transition to college will be a little rougher under Charlie Weis’ pro-style scheme than Driskel expected when he committed to Meyer.
Adam should know that after getting back into covering college teams following some time reporting on high school sports for part of 2010. But I guess that experience went to waste for the alligatorSports editor.
Brantley’s decision to return to Florida means Weis can install his offense right away with the presence of a quarterback who can execute it.
Think about if Brantley had decided to transfer. Weis would be like a cowboy without a gun in his holster. He would have his choice of Reed, Burton and Driskel. That would have been unfortunate.
And don’t hold Brantley’s poor showing last season against him.
As my former colleague, Mike McCall, would say, Brantley was a “round peg in a square hole.” He deserves a chance to run a scheme built around him instead of being pulled every other play in an offense that was designed for a dual-threat signal-caller.
Look at the list of quarterbacks who have been under the tutelage of Weis. It starts with Tom Brady and continues with names like Brady Quinn, Jimmy Clausen and Matt Cassel.
So, give Brantley a chance.
Chants for Driskel to play are likely to begin in Florida’s season opener, and Brantley will probably be under heavy scrutiny the whole season. But at least be thankful for his return.
I can only imagine Muschamp and Weis are.
