JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – After a strong showing in the Orange & Blue game last month, Feleipe Franks took a step forward in the race for the Florida Gators starting quarterback job. The red-shirt freshman completed 8 of 14 passes for 119 yards, a touchdown and no interceptions.
Following the spring game, Gators head coach Jim McElwain admitted that Franks had separated himself from fellow redshirt freshman Kyle Trask. “I was really happy with the group,” said McElwain. “I thought Feleipe did a really good job throughout the 15 opportunities in the spring. I think he established himself in that room a little bit.”
On Tuesday, during a meet and great with the Gator club of Jacksonville, McElwain took those comments one step further.
“Feleipe is the guy right now and we’ll see from there,” said McElwain. “At the same time whoever gives us the best opportunity to win our games is going to be the quarterback.” This was the first time that McElwain has outright said that Franks was at the top of the depth chart.
The Gators 2017 season opener on Sept. 2 against Michigan is still over three months away. Between now and then McElwain also expects junior quarterback Luke Del Rio to get in the mix for the starting job, once he fully recovers from surgery on both shoulders.
“We brought him back to early, I’ve said that,” said McElwain. “We shouldn’t have played him in that Arkansas game. I’m going to make sure he’s 100% because he’ll want to get in there and push it too early.”