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One is a throwback prototypical quarterback with the kind of big arm necessary to spread the football all over the field.
The other is emblematic of today’s game, relying on both his arm and his nimble feet to make plays.
Florida quarterbacks Will Grier and Treon Harris bring varying skill sets in their bid to become the Gators starting quarterback this fall. It will be up to first-year coach Jim McElwain to figure out which inexperienced signal-caller best gives his team the chance to win this season.
Grier, a redshirt freshman, emerged from the spring with a slight lead, but the competition remains close as training camp begins.
Harris started the final six games of 2014 as a true freshman. But it remains to be seen whether he was just a temporary fix or the long-term answer to the ongoing Gators quarterback questions since some guy named Tebow last played in Gainesville.
McElwain has said that he’s nowhere close to naming a starter, instead preferring to see how the two perform in camp and how their teammates respond to them.
The learning curve for either quarterback could be a steep one. Whomever claims the job will be forced to count on a novice offensive line that lists just one player with a collegiate start to his credit.
Here’s a quick look at the two young players whose performance will be critical if the Gators are to rejoin the SEC’s elite programs.
WILL GRIER
Height, weight: 6-foot-2, 215 pounds
Class: Redshirt freshman
Pedigree: Four-star recruit who was the Parade National Player of the Year for Class of 2014. Also voted Maxwell Player of the Year, Tom Lemming Offensive Player of the Year, 24/7 Sports first-team All-American and MaxPreps first-team All-American.
Strengths:
- A prototype quarterback who has the size, strength and big-time arm that McElwain favors for his offense.
- Passed for 4,989 yards and a national-best 77 touchdowns as a senior.
- Once threw for 837 yards and 10 touchdowns in a high school playoff game his junior season.
- A better athlete than most might suspect, rushing for 2,955 yards and 31 touchdowns while in high school.
Weaknesses:
- Unproven after redshirting last season and yet to play a minute of college football.
Noteworthy: Grier has bulked up considerably since enrolling at Florida in January 2014, according to an Atlanta Journal-Constitution story. He arrived on campus at 172 pounds, but now weighs a solid 215.
TREON HARRIS
Height, weight: 5-foot-11, 195 pounds
Class: Sophomore
Pedigree: A four-star recruit who was selected to play in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl for Class of 2014. Led Miami Booker T. Washington High School to consecutive Class 4A state titles.
Strengths:
- A dual-threat quarterback capable of making plays with both his arms and his feet
- Started the final six games of 2014 for the Gators, winning four, including an upset over No. 9 Georgia in his first start.
- Enjoyed his best game against Vanderbilt, passing for 215 yards while rushing for 49 more and two scores.
- Has shown a good feel for the game and his ability to keep plays alive with his feet could be critical with an inexperienced offensive line.
Weaknesses:
- He’s unlikely to give McElwain the consistent vertical passing game for which the new Florida coach has been known.
- Failed to complete better than 45.5 percent of his pass attempts in his last four starts. For the season, he completed just 49.5 percent (55 of 11) of his tries for 9 touchdown and 4 interceptions.
Noteworthy: Named to last year’s SEC All-Freshman Team after throwing for 1,019 yards and 9 touchdowns.
BOTTOM LINE
Don’t be surprised if McElwain goes all the way down to the wire before officially naming a starter.
It’s unlikely he’ll platoon the two quarterbacks, as most coaches prefer to give the offense a clear leader whenever possible. Nowhere is that perhaps more necessary that at Florida. Whomever gets the starting quarterback job will be asked to do a lot early on.
A best-case scenario for McElwain is that there is a clear winner in the competition, thereby avoiding the predictable catcalls for the backup should the starter falter early on during the season.
John Hollis is a contributing writer for Saturday Down South. He covers Georgia and Florida.
