Florida Football: Is the Gators offense quarterback-proof?

3. Florida might not need a quarterback

Malik Zaire made waves when he announced his intention to transfer from Notre Dame to Florida this offseason. Then, in a shocking development, head coach Jim McElwain named true freshman Feleipe Frank the starter over both Zaire and incumbent Luke Del Rio.

Read Also: Why benching Feleipe Franks was a huge mistake

It was Franks and Zaire that saw the majority of the snaps early in the season, but Del Rio that was called upon to win the Kentucky game. His late game touchdown to put Florida ahead earned him the start in Week 5. That didn’t last very long

In the second quarter, Del Rio left the game with an injury. Franks took over in his stead and kept the offense puttering along. The Gators went on to win the game 38-24. In his post game press conference, McElwain dropped a big injury update.

Losing a “starting” quarterback is never a good thing, but it might not matter much to the Gators. Franks, Zaire and Del Rio have combined for four touchdowns this season. It doesn’t really matter who’s taking snaps for the Gators, they weren’t making any meaningful contributions to the offense.

The Gators are going to have to rely on the running game if they’re going to do any damage with their offense this season. They had a fantastic day on the ground against the Commodores, rushing 51 times for 218 yards and five touchdowns.

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The lack of a reliable quarterback is going to cap the ceiling on this Florida football team, but the running game should at least be able to keep them relevant in the SEC East. The loss of Del Rio is unfortunate, but that’s not going to be what dooms the Gator offense in 2017.