The Florida Gators have put 2020 in the rearview mirror and are already back in the gym, working out daily with Nick Savage. The Gators will look a lot different in 2021, replacing guys like Kyle Trask, Kadarius Toney, Kyle Pitts.
Today we’ll start looking at the 2021 depth chart one position at a time, starting with quarterbacks.
Replacing a Heisman finalist in Kyle Trask is no easy task but 2021 is the season Emory Jones has been waiting for and working towards for three seasons. Florida has four scholarship quarterbacks this year with Jones leading the way. The Gators added two freshmen to the roster as early enrollees also.
The Gators will have a new quarterback leading them when they begin spring camp in March. Let's take a look at the options, who will win the job, and what depth the Gators have at the most important position on the field.
On the roster
R-So*. — Emory Jones
Fr*. — Anthony Richardson
Fr. — Carlos Del Rio
Fr. — Jalen Kitna
This is what Jones has been working towards since he arrived in Gainesville in 2017. The four-star quarterback from Georgia arrived in Gainesville and was behind both Feleipe Franks and Kyle Trask. He's waited his turn and 2021 will be his opportunity to run the show.
Jones has played in 24 games, in three seasons. He's completed 55 of 86 (64%) of his pass attempts for 613 yards, and 7 touchdowns. Jones has added 514 rushing yards on 94 carries and another six scores.
Jones has a very different skill set than Trask did, so it will be interesting to see how Dan Mullen and the offensive staff tinkers with the offense to best utilize Jones and his skills.
Jones has waited his turn and he's definitely the frontrunner to be the starting quarterback for the Florida Gators in 2021 but don't expect Anthony Richardson to hold the door open for him and let him have it.
The hometown kid from Eastside High School in Gainesville had a lot of people around the program excited about the future.
Richardson's size, arm, and athleticism sets him apart from other quarterbacks. When you look at the quarterbacks Dan Mullen has had the most success with Tim Tebow and Dak Prescott) , Richardson most greatly resembles them physically.
At Eastside, Richardson completed 53.2% of his passes, posting a career-high of 64.5% as a senior, throwing for 4,633 career passing yards, 37 touchdowns, and 19 interceptions. He added 1,633 yards and 41 touchdowns on the ground across 250 rushing attempts.
Jones is the favorite to win the job but Richardson will push him every day in practice to take the job if he can.
Del Rio originally committed to the Gators in 2019. He's been a long time Florida commit and arrived in Gainesville early this spring. Del Rio has good size for his age and real arm talent. He can make throws to all three levels. In high school, he also showed the ability to extend plays and make plays with his athleticism. Dan Mullen knows quarterbacks and Del Rio clearly showed Mullen enough that he became Mullen's guy in this class.
Kitna was a late addition to the Florida Gators' 2021 class and joined Del Rio as an early enrolee. Kitna was added because the Gators want four scholarship quarterbacks but he's more than a placeholder.
The son of a former NFL quarterback, Kitna has a pedigree that you can't teach. In high school he bounced around, playing at four different schools. He's entering a deep quarterback room and he's the low man on the totem pole who will have to work for everything he wants in Gainesville.