Over the next 12 days, Gator Country will preview the players that make up the 2013 Florida Gators football team as we inch closer and closer to the season.
Each day we will count down using the player whose jersey number corresponds with how many days there are left until Florida kicks off against Toledo in the Swamp on August 31.
Today we take a look at freshman quarterback Max Staver.
History
Max Staver is a 6’6”, 241-pound passer from Brentwood Academy in Brentwood, Tennessee. Staver earned his scholarship from Will Muschamp and his staff after working out for the coaches at summer camp. Staver impressed the coaching staff enough that day to earn him the scholarship, which he accepted over other offers from Louisville, Memphis and Mississippi State.
Player Evaluation
Strengths
At 6’6” and over 240-pounds, you can’t ask for better size at the quarterback position. He’s tall, lean and has a strong arm and quick delivery. Staver has a lot of wrist action in his release, which gives his ball a lot of RPM’s, creating a nice spiral and a very catchable ball.
On top of having a strong arm, he shows the ability to throw with touch and can change the velocity of his passes to better suit the situation and the type of throw he is making.
In high school, Staver showed a great ability to throw the ball under pressure with men in his face. His height has a lot to do with this but it also shows a certain calmness under pressure and great poise.
Staver has good mobility for a player of his size and while he shouldn’t be considered a dual-threat quarterback, he is mobile enough to create plays with his feet and escape the pocket when he needs to.
Weaknesses
Staver worked mainly out of the shotgun in high school and will need to get acclimated to playing under center more at Florida.
While he is a very accurate passer with a strong arm, Staver tends to rely on his arm strength more than he should and can let his mechanics slip, relying on arm strength alone to get passes off.
What to Expect
Staver is currently battling for the third string spot behind Jeff Driskel and Tyler Murphy. He has been splitting reps 50-50 with Skyler Mornhinweg but based on talent alone, should end up No. 3 on the depth chart.
Staver has been working hard to get the playbook down. Moving from high school where he was more physically gifted than most of the players he faced, to a college system and a massive playbook, he won’t be able to rely on just his physical abilities. He has been taking the extra mental reps in practice when on the sideline and you have to appreciate his work ethic.
Unless Driskel and Murphy both go down with an injury, it is unlikely that Staver will be called into action this season. He will most likely dress and travel for every game this season but a redshirt could be in his future.