Kim Klement, USA TODAY SPORTS
To say that the Florida Gators struggled on offense last season would be an understatement. The Gators were 104th in the country in total offense last season and 13th in the SEC in the same category.
While that wasn’t the only factor, the lack of offense was certainly a big reason that Will Muschamp was fired as the Gators’ head coach at the end of the 2014 season. Muschamp’s replacement, Jim McElwain, is charged with reviving the Florida attack.
McElwain was the offensive coordinator for the Alabama Crimson Tide before taking the head coaching position at Colorado State. Now, he’s back in the SEC and facing a big challenge in Gainesville.
After reviewing his offensive roster, McElwain has commented publicly about the lack of depth on that side of the ball. Most notably, McElwain must find a quarterback who can jump start the Gators’ attack.
There appear to be two choices for Florida behind center. Sophomore Treon Harris played in 10 games last season and he showed flashes of how good he could be at times. However, he also struggled with accuracy, completing just 49.6 percent of his passes with nine touchdowns and four interceptions. Harris also rushed 75 times for 332 yards and three scores, showing versatility that previous starter Jeff Driskel lacked.
Redshirt freshman Will Grier will also be given an opportunity to become the starter. Grier was the national high school player of the year as a senior and brings impressive credentials to the quarterback race. Now, he must prove he can produce on the field.
There is also buzz around Gainesville that walk-on Jacob Guy is not out of the running to be the starter. While he appears to be a longshot at this point, he does have a big arm that could be effective in McElwain’s offense.
No matter who the quarterback is for Florida in 2015, that player must improve if the Gators are going to build anything offensively.
Tim Letcher is a Featured Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @TimLetcher , on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
