Florida Football: Five Gators in need of a watershed moment in 2023
![Florida Gators quarterback Jack Miller III (10) throws the ball during fall football practice at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at the University of Florida in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, August 5, 2023. [Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun]](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_1080,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape%2Fcover%2Fsport%2F8bcd94aaf48a30341be8bc324318320bc295a56999678697b2e824ec36bfc4e5.jpg "Florida Gators quarterback Jack Miller III (10) throws the ball during fall football practice at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at the University of Florida in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, August 5, 2023. [Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun]")
When players commit to being a part of Florida football, they come to Gainesville with high hopes and large dreams of becoming the next player to have a statue built of them outside The Swamp. But due to the simple dynamics of the zero-sum game, Billy Napier can only play 11 players at a time. This results in multiple players having to hang out on the sidelines that probably think they are good enough to be on the field themselves.
The following are five players that are in danger of being forgotten if their fortunes do not turn around in 2023.
Florida Football: Jack Miller
Coming out of high school, Jack Miller had some decent credentials to him. Miller was considered a four-star prospect by both ESPN and Rivals and at 6’4″ had the size that Power 5 coaches look for in their starting QB.
He committed to Ohio State as part of the class of 2020 but transferred after being beaten out in back-to-back years by Justin Fields and C.J. Stroud.
Miller was slated to be the backup QB last season behind Anthony Richardson, another top NFL draft pick, so one could argue that Miller has just been stuck behind some talented QBs. But after an injury during Fall Camp in 2022 sidelined him, he was still stuck behind Jalen Kitna on the depth chart even when he was healthy.
Kitna has since departed, because reasons, and Miller finally got his chance to showcase what he could do in the Las Vegas Bowl against Oregon State.
The Gators needed a last-second field goal to avoid being shut out.
Combined with lackluster performances in the two Florida Spring Games he has taken part in, Miller has yet to assert himself as a viable backup.
With Max Brown breathing down his neck this year and some guy named DJ coming to Gainesville next year, 2023 might be the last opportunity for Miller to get any playing time with Florida football.