What's Next for Emory Jones as the Florida Gators New Starting QB?
Photo: Gators quarterback Emory Jones; Credit: University of Florida athletic association
Although Dan Mullen doesn't see it the way that most football fans and onlookers would, he admitted on Saturday that as things stand, Emory Jones is the starting quarterback for the Florida Gators.
"I would say yes, but I don't think of it in terms like that because I'm so much in; I mean you've got to prepare at least two quarterbacks ready to go if that makes sense," Mullen told the press after the team's third and final spring scrimmage of 2021.
"I don't know if I'm explaining it in the right way, but in my mind that makes sense, you know what I mean?" he continued. "Instead of, 'Hey, Emory's the starter, you're the backup' we need two starters and then I've got to figure out the backup situation we've got."
One way or another, if the upcoming season started tomorrow, Jones would be the first quarterback to take the field. Anthony Richardson is preparing to be Mullen's No. 2 starter, in that sense, and will certainly receive his fair share of snaps when the time comes.
But the season doesn't start until September 4, leaving both Jones and Richardson almost six months to continue preparing for their new roles. As the No. 1, first-on-the-field starter, Mullen is looking forward to Jones continuing to develop his consistency over the offseason.
"We're constantly on him: Consistency and the consistency within his performance," Mullen proclaimed. "He has great talent to go make plays, but getting the timing down. You know, we have some younger receivers, getting all the timing down with them ...
"Quarterbacks and receivers right now, you have, April, May, June and July, you have four months where you guys can get out there, you get your timing down, you get that exactness down, you get comfortable with each other and where you're going to be and how you're going to make the throws. And you get the communications down, beyond the coaching, where you guys have that kind of feel of how guys are [and] where they're going to be on field."
These are the skills that made Florida's previous starting quarterback, Kyle Trask, so effective behind the center. Consistent precision within his throws and understanding the exactness of where his receivers would get open to develop a rhythm.
Jones is expected to return to his home state of Georgia to work with his personal quarterback coaches, Quincy Avery and Sean McEvoy, throughout the offseason. He will also have the opportunity to privately work with Richardson and the Gators' receiving corps to develop the consistency that Mullen is striving for.
At his current pace, Mullen is excited about Jones' future. Give Jones credit for understanding the offense, as Mullen indicated that he's grown from understanding it to beginning to own it. Now, the focus of his training revolves around the little things, and the fundamentals, in order to be a consistent quarterback within the offense.
"He's getting a lot of the one reps, so now it's on him and I think, you know, with that comes the responsibility," Mullen said of Jones. "Also comes that he's comfortable within the offense, so to sit there and say 'Okay, hey, here's the read,' he knows the read, so let's get through on every aspect of being detailed and exact with making the throw."
