Jeff Driskel and Jacoby Brissett: Did They Make Right Choice To Go To Florida?
Much has been made of the Florida Gators signing two of the elite QB prospects in the country in their 2011 recruiting class. Jeff Driskel, billed as the top QB in country, and Jacoby Brissett, another very elite QB talent, both chose to head to Gainesville.
Many times when a school signs two top-flight signal callers, rumors of a transfer start swirling. USC signed Carson Palmer and Jason Thomas in one class. Thomas eventually left. Florida State signed Drew Weatherford and Xavier Lee. Lee transferred out.
Now we have Driskel and Brissett. Did they make the right choice to become Gators? Let's see.
Coaching at Florida
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Scot Loeffler took some heat for his failure to refine the throwing motion and mechanics of Tim Tebow and under-developing John Brantley over the past three years.
Now, enter one Charlie Weis. Weis is an offensive legend and one of the best QB tutors in football, bar none. He knows what he is doing and coaches with tough love but in an extremely fair way. Weis will call the plays in Gainesville and oversee the signal callers, including Driskel and Brissett.
A Super Bowl-winning offensive coordinator and a great offensive head coach at Notre Dame, Weis certainly ensures that in the coaching category, both made the right choice.
Offensive Fit at Florida
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Florida will be making the transition from a spread option offense under Urban Meyer to now more of a pro-style attack with new head coach Will Muschamp and offensive coordinator Charlie Weis.
Both Driskel and Brissett will make the adjustment from shotgun-based, spread offenses in high school, but both show the necessary tools to make the transition. Both players are in the 6'4"-6'5" range and have very strong arms.
Both players also display the athleticism to make throws on the run and also gain yards with their legs. Weis' offense is predicated on accuracy and anticipation, and both players have flashed these traits in high school.
With good coaching and time to learn the system, this looks like a solid fit for both player's choices.
Depth Chart and Competition
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John Brantley looks like he will be the guy under center this year for the Gators once again, but Brantley will be a senior.
The Gators do also have QBs Trey Burton and Jordan Reed on the roster. Burton may be inclined for a position change, as he saw time at QB, wing back and receiver last year as a true freshman.
Reed is a big athlete but has solid QB tools, though he may be a better fit in Meyer's spread option system than a traditional pro-style offense.
As it is shaping up right now, Driskel and Brissett will be allowed to compete for the starting job next season as either redshirt freshmen or sophomores. Whoever wins the job could have three or four years as the starting QB at Florida.
Gotta go with "right choice" in this category.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Talent Around Them
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This is a no-brainer. Florida has one the most talented rosters in college football, and the interesting thing is there is a lot of young talent on the team.
Don't forget the Gators are just a year removed from the top recruiting class in 2010 and have signed a couple No. 1 classes this decade. The roster is full of 5-star and 4-star prospects up and down the call sheet, and Driskel and Brissett will be among them.
In this category, saying they made the right choice is an understatement. They will be throwing to talented receivers and tight ends, handing off to talented running backs and protected by talented big uglies up front.
The defense has a host of talent on all three levels as well.
Tradition and Lineage of the QB Position at Florida
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The Gators have seen some of the very elite college signal callers in college football history—from Steve Spurrier to Rex Grossman, Danny Wuerffel, Tim Tebow, Chris Leak and back to John Reaves.
They say in sports that you want to be the guy that replaces the guy that replaced the legend. Brantley is charged with the task of replacing the legend of Tebow, but Driskel and Brissett will be given the chance to replace Brantley, which is a very good situation to come into in the sports legend replacing world.
This could not work out any better for both players, as they won't have to face as much pressure and scrutiny as Brantley did when taking over for Tebow.
Chance to Win Championships
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Going to Florida nearly ensures you that in your four or five years there, you will have an SEC championship ring and perhaps a national championship ring.
Being a big dog school in the big dog conference of all of college football, you go to Gainesville and you have chance to compete, win and win championships.
Both players made the right choice here. Florida is competitive year in and year out, and even in a down year such as last year, they were still a game away from getting to the SEC title game.
The Gators are one of only a few teams who consistently come into a season with not only division or conference championship hopes, but national title hopes as well.
National Exposure
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Florida is not just considered a regional power, but also a national power in football. On the recruiting trail, the Gators have shown the ability to pluck prospects from not just the South, but also Texas, the Midwest and California.
Gator football is routinely featured on ESPN, ABC and CBS, which are all nationally televised TV channels; thus their product reaches markets across the country and the world. Surely if you become a standout at Florida, then the national media will deem you a national standout as well.
Also, the Gators are a top-flight attraction for NFL scouts. Their pro day event in the spring is a national must see for pro talent evaluators, and Gator players currently stock an array of NFL rosters.
Both players made another correct choice in this category.
Chances One of Them Transfers
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It's always tough to predict if a player will transfer, especially when the ink of their LOI is barely dry yet. History shows that most times when a school signs two elite QBs, one eventually leaves the program as he seeks a huddle of his own.
What happens if next spring comes and Driskel and Brissett are in a heated competition, along with perhaps Jordan Reed and Trey Burton and maybe even another elite QB recruit, and one of them looses the job?
Are they really inclined to sit on the bench as a backup for three or four years of their college career? They're too good of talents to do so, if you ask me.
Which is why I think a transfer may indeed happen in the future.
Conclusion
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Right now, based on all of the factors I listed, Driskel and Brissett made the right choice to go to Florida. Some will argue Brissett did not since he signed with the Gators after knowing for months that Driskel would be headed to Gainesville too.
Yet you have to admire Brissett's confidence and competitiveness. He is showing he is not afraid to compete for a job and is confident in his talents to win a job over Driskel.
Both players are from the Sunshine State, and staying close to home is always a good thing.
I'm very intrigued to see how both players develop throughout their careers in Gainesville.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
