It was about this time last year that Florida coach Urban Meyer talked openly about playing two quarterbacks during the 2009 season.
He said John Brantley had progressed enough as a passer that the Gators hoped to use him as a passing complement to Tim Tebow, potentially in the first half of every game.
It never happened.
Well, Meyer is again saying that the Gators are going to play two quarterbacks during the 2010 season, and this time, you get the feeling he really means it.
Brantley didn’t have his best day throwing the ball in Saturday’s scrimmage, and the defense prevailed for the second straight scrimmage. He was under a lot of pressure most of the day from the Florida defensive front.
Meyer and Co. aren’t down on Brantley. They still feel like he will give them a dimension in the passing game the Gators haven’t had in a while. But they’re also looking for ways to replace what Tebow gave them on third-and-short, and that’s where tight end Jordan Reed and freshman quarterback Trey Burton come in.
“Everyone says we ran Tim because he's a great player. That's partially true. The other part is single-wing offense gives you plus-one in the run game,” Meyer said. “Jordan Reed has proven he can do it, and Trey Burton can run well, too. This is the year I think we actually will play two like we played Tim and Chris Leak."
As a freshman, Tebow was essentially the Gators’ short-yardage and goal-line specialist.
Right now, it’s difficult to pinpoint that guy at running back. Senior Emmanuel Moody has a chance, but the jury is still out on whether he’s tough enough or durable enough. Moody had to leave Saturday’s scrimmage with a quad injury, and he was just getting back to practice after injuring his ankle.
Reed, who moved from quarterback to tight end last season, has been solid for the Gators this spring. The 6-foot-3, 240-pound redshirt freshman is a natural in the Wildcat formation. Burton is also coming off his best scrimmage. He threw two touchdown passes to Carl Moore, including a 64-yard strike on a deep ball.