While Aaron Philo and Tramell Jones Jr. are in the midst of a quarterback competition, freshman Will Griffin has made strides over 14 spring practices.
It doesn’t take long to notice the physical tools Griffin possesses. Listed at 6’3”, 224 pounds, the Treasure Island, Florida, native has ideal size for the position, and his natural arm strength stands out. While not considered a true dual threat, Griffin has shown comfort moving outside the pocket and making accurate throws on the run early in his time in Gainesville.
“Will’s like grown in a lab,” quarterbacks coach Joe Craddock said. “He’s everything you want in a quarterback. He’s got huge hands, strong arm, quick release. He’s 222 pounds. You know, he’s what you’re looking for.”
The transition from high school to college is never easy, especially at such a complex position. Like most true freshman quarterbacks, Griffin must learn the playbook and how to operate at the line of scrimmage.
“He’s a wild stallion,” quarterbacks coach Joe Craddock said on Griffin at the start of spring camp. “What I mean by that, man, is he’s one of those horses. You go out on the prairie, you find a horse that’s big, strong, looks pretty, but he’s wild, you got to tame him a little bit to be able to ride him.”
“He’s very eager to learn. He wants more all the time,” Craddock added. “You know, he’s got to learn, like, this is a little bit of a process. You know, he wants to hit a triple right now; it takes looking at a couple of pitches before you can hit the triple. But he’s a very talented player. Very excited that he’s here.”
After 14 spring practices, with only the Orange and Blue game remaining, Craddock is pleased with Griffin’s development and increasing maturity.
“He’s grown a lot. I told him early on, he’s a guy that, you know, he thought he knew football, and I think he was only scratching the surface mentally,” Craddock said. “He’s learned a ton. And, you know, I think the biggest thing for him in his maturation is, like, learning what defenses are doing. You know, high school quarterbacks, you’re not seeing very complex defenses and different looks, and guys like Coach White, masking coverages with, you know, lining people up in different spots and then getting to something else. So I think he’s grown a lot in that area.”
Florida’s staff is working to make Griffin’s delivery more consistent as the freshman continues refining habits carried over from high school.
“He likes to kind of throw a sidearm or something like that. Trying to get him to be more consistent and throwing the ball the same way if I can,” Craddock said. “Obviously, at times, you have to throw the ball off platform and make plays. But, you know, you never want to see him, if you don’t have to on a check down, just wing one underhanded. And sometimes he likes to do that because he is talented and he kind of reverts back to those deals. But as long as I’m clean in the pocket and I can flip my hips and move my feet and get into the right throwing position, that’s what he, you know, he’s got to work on that a little bit.”
Griffin isn’t expected to receive significant playing time right away. As talented as he is, there’s a significant gap between a second- or third-year player and a freshman, even if none have meaningful in-game experience. The learning curve is steep. After spring, Florida will focus on ensuring Griffin understands the basics of the offense while continuing to develop its future quarterback.
“I think Will’s done a really good job of learning. Like I said, he still got a long way to go,” Craddock said. “After the spring, we’ll kind of sit down and kind of go back through everything, you know, football 101. And you never want to assume a guy knows what the alley means, or what the hash means, or what the top of the numbers are. So you go back through all that again, and the more they hear it, the better off they’ll be.”