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By his own admission, the last three years have been tough on Emory Jones. A standout at Head County High School and an Under Armour All-American Jones came to the University of Florida and had never experienced being a backup. He's been in Gainesville since January of 2018 and has never made a start but he's leaving spring camp as the starter in Gainesville.

After the final scrimmage of spring, Dan Mullen was asked point-blank if Jones, right now, would be his starting quarterback.

"It's so hard for me because I don't even think in those terms right now, to be perfectly honest with you," Mullen began. "I mean you would have to say yes, but I mean I'll give you an honest answer... so I would say yes."

The reason Mullen was somewhat hesitant is that you never know what can happen. It was just over a year ago when Feleipe Franks went down with a broken leg and Kyle Trask was thrust into the starting role. Credit is due to Trask for being ready, but injuries are an unfortunate part of the game and something a coach needs to be prepared for. That's why, while Jones is the starting quarterback, Mullen has to make sure Anthony Richardson, Carlos Del Rio, and Jalen Kitna are all preparing as if they are the starter.

"You've got to prepare at least two quarterbacks ready to go if that makes sense," Mullen said. "So my thought process is, 'How are we getting two starters ready, and then we have the two young guys, so what's the backup plan after we have two starters?' 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? 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."

The work is far from done. Jones now enters a portion of the offseason where the onus is on him. The Gators' coaching staff won't be allowed to work with the players on the field until the summer. It will be up to Jones to work on his own and to also bring the other quarterbacks, receivers, tight ends, and running backs along with him.

"Him taking that role, both really he and Anthony," Mullen said. "I talked to the guys today and—yesterday really it was about it— about, you know 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, where they're going to be on the field. I think that's a huge part for those guys moving forward.”

After three years of waiting, don't expect Jones to take the opportunity lightly.