Florida Football should rethink recruiting after backup quarterback transfers
Florida football lost a backup quarterback. Jalon Jones’ transfer isn’t backbreaking, but it probably could have been prevented.
The age of the Transfer Portal is upon us and the Florida Gators are not immune. Following a modest spring showing, freshman quarterback Jalon Jones has entered the Transfer Portal, per Matt Zenitz.
Jones was always a distant longshot to crack the two-deep this spring. With Feleipe Franks entrenched as the Gators’ starter, Jones was cast amongst Emory Jones and Kyle Trask who competed for the backup job. It’s not clear at this point who won that competition, but it’s safe to assume Jones was the odd man out.
Rather than wait his turn, Jones is opting to play elsewhere, an increasingly popular option among non-starting quarterbacks throughout the nation. This transfer wave could impact how Dan Mullen and other coaches at blue-blood programs approach quarterback recruiting. Mullen needs to find himself a Mac Jones.
Jones was a former 3-star recruit, the No. 18 pro-style quarterback in the nation, who signed with Alabama in 2017. 5-star Tua Tagovailoa was in that class and both entered behind incumbent starter Jalen Hurts who was coming off a College Football Playoff run.
Tagovailoa had a real shot at the starting job, a truth which bore itself out at the tail end of his freshman season. Jones was clearly under no such delusions. He knew when he signed with Alabama there would have to be a confluence of factors in a short timespan for him to see the field in meaning moments. But he was willing to accept those circumstances.
Florida’s Jones was a 4-star recruit, the No. 10 dual threat quarterback in the nation. He had 15 offers coming out of high school and could have started at several of his alternative options. Instead, he chose to try his hand in Gainesville. After striking out, he’s most likely off to regain a starting job elsewhere. Jones either is, or believes himself to be, too talented to sit on the bench.
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For better or worse, blue-chip quarterbacks expect to start. Mullen should take notice of the direction his counterpart Nick Saban has chosen and find himself a bridge quarterback. He doesn’t need a superstar, he needs someone who’s okay riding the bench, chipping in when the team needs him.