![Florida Gators quarterback Max Brown (17) rushes with the ball during the second half against the Florida State Seminoles at Steve Spurrier Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, November 25, 2023. [Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun]](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,x_0,y_0,w_4412,h_2481/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/213/01jj74kb9cqy13yvxvgb.jpg "Florida Gators quarterback Max Brown (17) rushes with the ball during the second half against the Florida State Seminoles at Steve Spurrier Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, November 25, 2023. [Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun]")
The backup QB position for 2025 is seemingly set for Florida Football, as the Gators were able to land Harrison Bailey after having to scramble once Deshawn Purdie backed out. Gator fans obviously hope they never have to see Bailey in action, but as history has shown us the Gators will probably have to go with a backup QB at some point during the season.
We are not going to include DJ Lagway on this list since he would be the obvious number-one choice, and we are not going to count walk-ons who had zero pathway to play, but the following is a ranking of the other backup QBs Billy Napier has had during his time with Florida.
5. Clay Millen
When Florida brought Clay Millen in last offseason, we kind of viewed him in the same light we view Bailey now. Millen has some FBS experience, and while he wasn't amazing at Colorado State, he at least felt like a decent enough "Pull in case of emergency" option.
He was the 3rd string in Florida's spring game last year, but when that emergency came after Lagway went down against Georgia, Millen wasn't even considered.
Practice reports indicate he wasn't doing great, and to that we say how bad he was in practice if he couldn't even get a look in the game compared to...
4. Aidan Warner
We have said it before, but it is not Aidan Warner's fault that he was placed into a situation he was never meant to be placed in. Warner went from not even starting at Yale to all of a sudden having to face Georgia and Texas back-to-back.
But the simple reality is that Warner simply wasn't ready for the moment, and Florida's offense came to a standstill in both games. There is a reason why Napier dipped back into the transfer portal for a QB this offseason.
3. Jack Miller
Jack Miller had all the metrics you want in a backup QB. He was listed at 6'4" and was a former four-star who just got beat out by Justin Fields and CJ Stroud.
However, a combination of injuries and other factors meant that when Florida needed a backup, Miller wasn't the chosen one. He did eventually start in the Las Vegas Bowl, going 13/22 for 180 yards, as Florida needed a last-second field goal to avoid being shut out.
2. Jalen Kitna
The reason Jack Miller even started the Las Vegas Bowl was because Jalen Kitna, well, you know...
On the field, Kitna looked good in the one run of extended action he did get in 2022 against Eastern Washington. He went 8/12 for 152 yards and a touchdown, and his ADOT was an impressive 15.5 yards. Even against Samford this year, DJ Lagway only had an ADOT of 12.7 yards.
1. Max Brown
One defensive stop on 4th and 17 would have turned Max Brown into a folklore legend in Gainesville. After Graham Mertz broke his collarbone, Brown entered the game and didn't look fazed at all. Missouri had no answer for his legs, and he brought Florida to the doorstep of a massive shutout.
His follow-up against FSU wasn't as successful, but we also pin part of that on the fact Napier mismanaged the game and didn't have enough option runs for Brown.