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Luke Del Rio ready for opportunity as Florida starting quarterback

By Danny Jaillet

Apr 8, 2016; Gainesville, FL, USA; Florida Gators quarterback Luke Del Rio (14) looks to pass in the first quarter of the Orange and Blue at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Logan Bowles-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 8, 2016; Gainesville, FL, USA; Florida Gators quarterback Luke Del Rio (14) looks to pass in the first quarter of the Orange and Blue at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Logan Bowles-USA TODAY Sports /
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Luke Del Rio was named the starting quarterback for the Florida Gators and finally gets his chance to prove himself at his third school.

Heading into Thursday, there was very little uncertainty about who would be the Florida Gators’ starting quarterback leading into their season opener. Head coach Jim McElwain made the announcement on Thursday, giving the nod to Luke Del Rio over former Purdue starter Austin Appleby.

“Luke is going to work as the starter the rest of camp and start in the season opener barring any unforeseen development,” McElwain said. “Our other quarterbacks remain in the plans and are ready to move forward and help the Gators any way they can.”

Del Rio’s college football career has been a whirlwind of sorts and he has just 18 pass attempts to show for it. He began as an Alabama walk-on in 2013 and never saw the field. He transferred to Oregon State hoping to find himself in a better situation, but head coach Mike Riley’s decision to leave for Nebraska left Del Rio to transfer again.

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Now, after opening the spring as the front-runner for the starting job, he has a chance to give his football career new life. His performance in the spring game/scrimmage certainly helped his case. He went 10-11 for 176 yards and two touchdowns as the Blue team rolled over the Orange by a 44-6 score.

This is a huge start for Del Rio. He has a chance to receive consistent reps and this is the perfect opportunity to do so against an inferior UMass team. This will also give fans around the country an opportunity to see him at length as he looks to make a mark of his own in Gainesville.

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I certainly would not expect a perfect game from him as there will probably be some kinks to work out. However, this will be a tremendous opportunity to showcase his skills and state his case to be the starter for the rest of the year.

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