Throughout the week Dan Mullen and Kirby Smart were both asked about a freshman quarterback. Georgia’s blue chip freshman Justin Fields was the center of attention all week after Georgia’s starting quarterback, Jake Fromm, had a rough outing against LSU. Nobody asked about Florida’s Freshman.
It had been 57 days since Emory Jones took a snap in a football game but Dan Mullen thought that a package for Jones could be helpful against Georgia. Jones was deployed early against the Bulldogs. He ran the ball four times for 12 yards and would have had a touchdown pass if not for obvious pass interference.
Jones’ only other playing time this season was in the season opener against Charleston Southern. A new NCAA rule made him playing in that game and then again this past week against Georgia possible.
This is the first year that players can play in up to four games and still maintain redshirt status. Mullen has been a vocal fan of the new rule and credited it for Jones being able to play in 2018.
“He wouldn’t have been able to play in the first one,” Mullen said of Jones. “That’s the benefit of the rule. You want player development and guys engaging? If you think you have an opportunity to play all throughout the season, you’re going to be much more engaged in your development and every aspect of it.”
Starting quarterback Feleipe Franks had a rough game against Georgia. The redshirt sophomore overthrew Van Jefferson on the first play of the game, missing out on a touchdown. He also threw an interception and lost a fumble during a 13-21 passing performance. Mullen reiterated his confidence in Franks on Monday, saying he isn’t shortening Franks’ leash because of the turnovers.
Florida and Mullen are in an interesting position now with Jones though. The talented freshman has played in two games. He can play in two more and still maintain his redshirt status. That, for now, is the plan.
“He’s grown,” Mullen said of Jones. “We had a package in. You know, it starts because he gets reps to run the whole offense and then we have a couple of little package plays last week that we put in for him. We’ll do that for at least two more games this year.”
Florida has four more games in the regular season and then a bowl game. Jones can play in two of those contests while keeping his redshirt but is it necessary to maintain that redshirt. Florida is scheduled to have Franks, Jones and Kyle Trask all back in 2019. Freshman Jalon Jones will join the quarterback room early in January. When you recruit a player like Jones you don’t expect him to be on campus for five seasons. Just look at the team that the Gators shared a field with last weekend. Georgia has signed three straight five star quarterbacks but Jacob Eason saw the writing on the wall before this season and transferred to Washington. Quarterbacks want to play and play now. Would Jones even be around for a potential fifth season in Gainesville? This season he’s been the consummate teammate.
“One of the things I admire about him the most, especially being a five-star quarterback. You expect to come in and play and want to be in that role, but sometimes you’re just not ready yet and sometimes you gotta take the backseat for a little bit and just watch and observe,” Josh Hammond said of Jones. “I think that’s one thing he did a really good job of, sitting back and watching Feleipe, learning the game, learning the reads, learning everything he didn’t know to put himself in that role.”
These are the questions that will surround Florida and Jones the rest of the season. Mullen will play whatever quarterback he feels gives his team the best chance at winning. That, right now, is Franks but does giving Jones a role and more snaps also help you win this season? Does it better prepare Jones for potentially taking over as the starting quarterback next season?
There’s no quarterback controversy in Gainesville but it will be very interesting to see how the coaching staff chooses to deploy Jones the rest of the way.