Gators HC Dan Mullen Talks Emory Jones Progression, Opportunity
A new era of Florida Gators football is set to take the stage this fall as redshirt junior quarterback Emory Jones begins his journey as the team's starting quarterback, an opportunity that head coach Dan Mullen has been waiting for, for quite some time.
Speaking with media on SEC Media Day earlier this week, Mullen recounted his experience with Jones prior to the quarterback joining the team in the 2018 recruiting class. It was different, and Mullen knew at the time that Jones was going to be a quarterback willing to go through the process of starting for the quarterback-friendly head coach.
It would begin with a simple text message from the soon-to-be freshman quarterback to Mullen. At the time, Jones was committed to the Ohio State Buckeyes. This interaction was different than a typical de-commit, re-commit formula many recruits take during the process. It was then that he knew Jones was different.
"He says, 'Coach, when this shakes out, be ready. I want to be your quarterback,'" Mullen recounted. "And not, 'I want to look at Florida, I want to consider this or I'm thinking about flipping schools.' It was, 'I want to be your quarterback.'"
While that's not enough to determine whether a quarterback will be good or not, it was an early indicator of the type of quarterback Jones would be.
Knowing Mullen's background and the high expectations he has for his quarterbacks, Jones knew that it might take time for him to see the field. Still, he wanted to play for the Gators, wanted to be Mullen's quarterback.
"So that part, when you look at who guys are, is so critical and who they become. Then if you look at his progression -- I mean, he came in as a very celebrated high school player, highly ranked player, and I think for a couple years now, he's learned, he's grown, he's developed.
"He's a completely different player he was when he walked in, in his understanding of the game and in his maturity."
It's year four now, and Jones will finally be able to earn his chance to become one of the top quarterbacks in the nation while at Florida. Taking a look at how his former teammate, Kyle Trask, did with similar circumstances, gives a picture of how waiting and developing could help more than hurt.
Mullen has seen this before. With Trask last season, the quarterback went from someone no one had any expectations for to a Heisman Trophy finalist, now with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft.
Before that, Mullen coached former Mississippi State quarterback Dak Prescott. Prescott wouldn't turn into the quarterback that NFL teams got excited for until a couple of years into his collegiate career. Now the quarterback is one of the highest-paid athletes in the country.
"I think Emory has shown the maturity early on that it wasn't I have to play from day one, it's I have to continue to be developed from day one to prepare for my moment and my time, and that's what he's been able to do," Mullen said of the young quarterback.
Jones has his opportunity to be the next Mullen-coached quarterback to become a successful quarterback this year. He's taken his time to learn and understand the collegiate game. Now, it's his turn to put it all to the test.
"As I said, you're looking at a guy, as he comes into the season, he's not coming in with a stat line of nothing. He's coming in with a stat line that he's played in key games in significant games. I think that's huge, and it's prepared him for this time."
