Florida football: Quarterback room breakdown, depth preview

Florida football is losing one of their most electric quarterbacks in recent memory to the NFL Draft this year Anthony Richarson. AR had a rare combination of arm talent and running ability that made him almost impossible to game-plan for when he was fully healthy.

With Richardson leaving, the Gators’ QB room isn’t as strong as it was in years past. We all thought we might get to see Jaden Rashada show out in his freshman year, but we all know how that ended up.

So now, the Gators will be putting Wisconsin transfer Graham Mertz under center in their run-heavy offense.

We already pretty much know what we’re getting in Mertz. He is a game manager type player that is able to make short, quick throws and run an offense. That’s all that Napier and co. really need him to do.

But what does the rest of the QB room look like?

Florida football QB room: Jack Miller III

Gator fans got their first look at Jack Miller in UF’s bowl game against Oregon State. It didn’t go very well.

Miller threw 13-22 for 180 yards, throwing no touchdowns or interceptions. There were a few plays where Miller made some really questionable decisions, and missed a few open guys.

But it’s hard to hold that game against him. It was his first ever game action, in a bowl game, against a top-15 Oregon State team that had a lot to prove by beating an SEC team.

Still, it would be hard to have a lot of faith in the Gators if Miller was at the helm to start next season. He’s just a sophomore and has plenty of time to develop and gain confidence before he plays again if his time comes down the road for the Gators.

Having Mertz around will help Jack out a lot too, as his veteran presence and experience can help Miller grow from the sidelines this season.

Florida football QB room: Lots of young talent in the reserve

If the Gators get horribly unlucky and neither Mertz nor Miller could go in any given week, the Gators have plenty of bodies behind them to play. None of them are ideal or have even seen the field for that matter.

But they still exist.

The first of the Gators’ backline QBs is Jack Anders, a junior out of Germantown, Maryland. Anders stands at 6’2”-203. If he has to play, he has good enough size to be durable and play consistent snaps.

But his arm and ability to run a game are still unproven.

Next in line would be Kyle Engel, a junior out of Fort Lauderdale. Engel is also yet to see any game action but has some good potential and a nice arm that has gotten some look at practice.

The youngest guy in the room is sophomore Max Brown. Brown was a 3-star recruit out of Tulsa, Oklahoma, and may have the best pure arm out of these three guys.

He’s still young and working on developing his body to be ready for the SEC, but he could easily be the most talented guy behind Mertz and Miller.

Keep up with Florida football at Hail Florida Hail.