“Long time coming,” Luke Del Rio said to the media after Jim McElwain named him the Florida Gators starter at quarterback. “Not necessarily here, but just in college in general. I feel like I earned it. I thought I had a really good camp. I’m glad the coaches saw it the same way.”
Del Rio arrived in Gainesville via the road less traveled. A high school quarterback heralded more for his last name than his playing ability, Del Rio didn’t have any big Division I scholarship offers after his senior season at Valor Christian in Colorado.
“Wait a minute,” McElwain interjected when asked a question about Del Rio’s recruitment. “The guy had Colorado State. He had offers.”
It’s true. McElwain, who was the head coach at Colorado State at the time, was the first coach to offer Del Rio a scholarship. Rather than accept a scholarship he chose to walk on at Alabama, calling it a “dream of mine” to play at a school like Alabama and in a conference like the SEC. Del Rio spent a year in Tuscaloosa as a walk-on but was buried on the depth chart behind AJ McCarron and Blake Sims. In an interview with the Oregonian in 2012, Del Rio said he “saw the writing on the wall” at Alabama.
“[Nick Saban] said, ‘We’re not ready to make that commitment yet from a business perspective,’” Del Rio is quoted in the story. “He said if he had the numbers, then he would have done it. And I respected that, but I sort of saw the writing on the wall, and I left.”
Del Rio went west, to Oregon State. He petitioned the NCAA for immediate eligibility and had it granted when the NCAA ruled that he was not a “recruited player” at Alabama. Del Rio won the Beavers’ backup job behind Sean Mannion. Del Rio played in three games, 8-of-18 (44%) passes for 141 yards. Head coach Mike Riley left Oregon State for Nebraska and Gary Anderson was hired, bringing with him a spread offense, something Del Rio is ill fitted for. That led Del Rio to pick up and look for a third school in as many years.
The Florida Gators have had seven quarterbacks start a game since Tim Tebow left the school in 2010. John Brantley, Jacoby Brissett, Jeff Driskel, Tyler Murphy, Skyler Mornhinweg, Treon Harris and Will Grier have all come and gone. Needless to say, that instability at the quarterback position should have been appealing enough for a passer in search of a new home but what really helped Florida land Del Rio was Luke’s familiarity with the coaches.
Del Rio had a relationship with McElwain from his recruiting process.
“It’s not like we had dinner every week or anything,” McElwain quipped Friday. “I just knew him as an eighth grader.”
Del Rio also had a relationship with Doug Nussmeier. Jack Del Rio was working in the Saints organization when Nussmeier played for New Orleans. “I think he was knee high to a grasshopper,” Nussmeier joked in the spring when asked about the first time he met Luke.
There was also the year Del Rio spent at Alabama when Nussmeier was the offensive coordinator. Nussmeier had taken over as the Crimson Tide’s OC after McElwain left Alabama for Colorado State and the offensive system and philosophies stayed the same. Del Rio chose Florida but was forced to lead the scout team offense in 2015, sitting out the season in accordance with NCAA transfer regulations. Still, that time gave Del Rio a second year in the system and when you’re battling a graduate transfer and two freshmen for a starting job, that time spent in the playbook is invaluable.
“I’m very, very comfortable in this offense. Third year in it,” Del Rio said Friday. “I’ve known coach Mac for a long time. Known coach Nuss for a good bit as well. I think the fact that I’ve had this relationship has really helped me in this camp being comfortable with the offense.”
Del Rio took that head start and ran with it. He’s been the most consistent of the quarterbacks; his teammates have lauded his presence in the huddle and in the locker room. They see his leadership capabilities and, despite having thrown just 18 collegiate passes, believe he has a veteran like quality.
Del Rio has never started a game at the college level. That will all change on September 3 when Florida hosts UMass to kick off the 2016 season and it will be quite the experience for a journeyman quarterback looking to make a name for himself.
“Last year, I was running out of the same tunnel kind of looking like this,” Del Rio said pointing to his polo and sandals. “So I looked like the equipment staff did. It’ll be nice to be wearing pads this time.”