Florida Football: 5 Reasons Jacoby Brissett Should Be the Starter at Quarterback

Although it may not have seemed like it at the time, John Brantley going down with an ankle injury helped the Gators in the long run. 

Brantley going down with an injury just before halftime against Alabama seemed like a crushing blow at the time, but in retrospect the Gators didn't have a chance to beat Alabama or LSU last season. They were too inexperienced, to vanilla on offense and going through too many changes to truly compete against the top dogs in the SEC. 

What Brantley's injury did for the Gators is get both freshman quarterbacks some experience. Jacoby Brissett and Jeff Driskel both were able to play meaningful snaps in 2011 and will be better for it in 2012. 

With both quarterbacks seemingly neck and neck in the race to become the starting quarterback, I will make my best case for why Brissett should win the job and be the Gators leader in 2012. 

Big Arm

Jacoby Brissett is gifted physically. At 6'3'' 230 lbs, he has the prototypical size you look for in a pocket passer. 

Brissett is also gifted with a cannon for a right arm. Able to make all the throws that a pro-style system calls for, Brissett has the arm to squeeze passes into tight windows and stretch the field vertically. 

As a pure passer, Brissett must get the nod over Driskel. 

Pocket Presence

The Gators offensive line was as porous as a sponge in 2011, and it allowed us to see which Gator quarterback could handle himself and operate in the offense when the pocket collapsed.

Jeff Driskel has a run-first mentality which can be useful especially with his speed, but it was Brissett that showed poise when things broke down. When asked about his quarterback and how he handled pressure, Quinton Dunbar replied, "He's a cool customer."

Although not quite as big, Brissett's pocket presence reminds me a lot of Ben Roethlisberger. Brissett uses his feet well to step up in the pocket, can sense where the pressure is coming from and adjust accordingly, and when he is caught by the defense, he is a load to bring down. 

Brissett can still work and improve on his decision-making, but as far as being poised and comfortable in the pocket, he definitely grades out higher than Driskel.  

Gunslinger Mentality

What good is having a cannon for an arm if you don't like showing it off?

Brissett has the type of mentality and confidence in his arm that all great passers exude. Along with that confidence in his arm and throwing ability is Brissett's love of the deep ball. When asked about his love of throwing the deep ball, Brisset responded:

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“If I see somebody open down the field, I’m gonna just throw it. It becomes second-hand to you. You see someone deep, you’ve been practicing over and over, you know when it’s not there and when to take a chance. I love throwing the deep ball.”

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Sure, Brissett threw a couple "arm punt" type of passes where he forced a ball into coverage downfield, but is a 35-40 yard pass on third down that's intercepted for no return the worst-case scenario? Brissett has shown that he is not afraid to throw the ball deep, whereas Driskel has shown a tendency to check down rather than take a shot down the field. 

More Experienced

Neither quarterback is what you would consider a veteran player but it was Brissett, not Driskel, who earned two starts last season. 

Driskel had a jump start on Brissett as an early enrollee, but Brissett seemingly made up the difference and won the coaches favor when he started in consecutive weeks. 

After a slow start against Auburn, Driskel would take over in the second half but could not lead a scoring drive, and the Gators were held out of the end zone completely. Those would be the last snaps that Driskel would take all season and Brissett became the backup to Brantley when he returned from an injury. Brissett would see limited action the rest of the season as a backup and finished the game against FSU after Brantley went down with a concussion. 

While he only attempted 39 passes, Brissett will benefit from the experience of playing against top-notch SEC opponents and won't have the jitters of a first-time starter in the SEC.

Mobility

Jeff Driskel is the more mobile of the two quarterbacks, but Brissett is the better passer and possess above-average mobility. 

Along with his pocket presence and poise, Brissett has enough speed and mobility to turn a would be sack into a positive gain. While not a true dual-threat quarterback, Brissett is athletic enough to keep defenses honest, and coupled with his arm and pocket presence, his mobility becomes a weapon where it could become a crutch for Driskel. 

Being a pass-first quarterback who can also scramble when he needs to is more dangerous than being a run-first quarterback. Brissett will win the starting quarterback job because he is the more developed passer and can make all the throws that the pro-style offense calls for. He is a calming presence and a true leader. 

Let me know in the comments section below who you think is the best man for the job and why.