Take it from Florida’s head coach, who fielded several questions Monday at SEC Media Days on his quarterback situation ahead of the 2021 season, who’s not worried about like after Kyle Trask, who shattered numerous program passing records last fall.
Mullen has been through this before and has total confidence in his new starter Emory Jones, a player with three years in his system and strengths that a revised Gators scheme will build around offensively. The offensive guru sent a message for those worried about Florida’s offense with a first-year starter under center failing to produce sizable numbers.
“If you go back, even being a coordinator, you go back to the Alex Smiths and the Chris Leaks, through the Tebows, to Tyler Russell and Dak Prescott. There’s been so many different variations,” Mullen said inside the Wynfrey Hotel. “I think the key to it is, and one of the reasons we’ve been successful is, never trying to take a square peg and put into a round hole. It’s identifying what our guys do really well and build around the strengths of not just the quarterback, but the offense as a whole.”
Mullen touched on his quarterback’s recruitment and the moment he knew Florida was going to sign a confident player. Most are projecting the Gators to finish second in the SEC East this fall behind Georgia, due in large part to personnel losses, but Mullen was quick to point out the same questions lingered ahead of last season at the wide receiver spot and Florida boasted the nation’s top tight end in Kyle Pitts.
