Gators HC Mullen on QB Emory Jones: 'We Have a Lot of Confidence In Him'

Speaking with the media on Thursday, Florida Gators head coach Dan Mullen expressed confidence in his quarterback room: Specifically, redshirt sophomore Emory Jones.

Video credit: GatorVision, UF Athletic Association

2020 is the year to be set at quarterback. With so many uncertainties and the dangerous outside factor that is coronavirus surrounding college football, a team with multiple starting-caliber quarterbacks could have a serious edge over others should problems arise for their starter.

The Florida Gators are in that position. UF returns redshirt senior Kyle Trask, who started 10 games last season and led the Gators to the 2019 Orange Bowl in place of the injured Feleipe Franks (now with Arkansas), along with redshirt sophomore Emory Jones. 

Jones was head coach Dan Mullen's first quarterback signee after he took on the role in late 2017, a consensus four-star who flipped from Ohio State and provides game-breaking potential as a dual-threat. Seeing action in four games as a freshman, earning a redshirt then playing in 11 contests in 2019, Jones has accumulated 392 yards and five touchdowns through the air, completing 68.5% of his 54 passes, while also rushing for 297 yards and four scores on 60 attempts.

Trask has more than proven he's capable to start, and his experience gives him the upper-hand. In place of Franks, Trask completed 66.9% of his passes for 2,941 yards, 25 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. His performance has put him on the 2021 Senior Bowl's radar, multiple Preseason All-SEC teams, and numerous major award watch lists.

Mullen praised both signal-callers when speaking with the media on Thursday, acknowledging that Jones is competing to start and commending him for his development.

“Emory’s done a great job in preparing in this season," said Mullen. "I think his comfort and his knowledge of the offense, obviously, coming into his sophomore year on the field. I think he’s much more comfortable with everything going on that’s out there. I think we have a lot of confidence in him. Playmaker."

In 2019, while Trask earned the starting nods, he and Jones were listed as co-No. 1's on Florida's quarterback depth chart throughout the season and that should be expected this year, too. When it comes to snap counts, Trask took the field 624 times compared to Jones' 130 plays.

It's safe to assume that the margin is likely to narrow entering Jones' third year in the system. That doesn't take away from Trask's skill-set and what he has provided to the offense, however, Jones simply offers something different, which the coaching staff wants to take advantage of.

"Certainly what’s kind of fun is you see Kyle in there, and he’ll run a play a certain way,” Mullen continued. "And Emory, it ends up being a little different play with Emory in there. They have different skillsets and bring a little something different to the table with certain plays and certain packages. It makes it a pretty good 1-2 combination for us.”

There were times last season where the two quarterbacks' usage was a bit questionable, sometimes inserting another signal-caller while one had momentum, and in some cases, not utilizing Jones when Trask was struggling. As a whole, the two-quarterback operation worked well, but there is room for the system to grow as well.

That will come with continued development, which is the most important thing on Mullen's mind as fall camp begins to heat up with pads on.

“That’s always important. But that’s a week-to-week thing. Right now we’re in installation," said Mullen. "I can’t tell you Emory won’t be our starter. I don’t know what’s going to happen... What’s really important is getting everybody on the team to learn and understand the offensive and defensive schemes to be better technical players than they were this time last year. That’s kind of where we are right now. Our biggest concern right now is not who’s running what package. Our biggest concern is are we developing players to get ready for the season?”

Trask is in the same boat, with Mullen acknowledging his confidence in the fifth-year signal-caller and adding that more will be put on his plate this year as well.

"Decision making is going to be a huge one of how fast you process things," Mullen said of Trask. "We’ll end up putting a lot more on him this year: Checking within the game plan of him getting us into specific plays. But I think your comfort within the offense allows you … we give you a lot more freedom at that point because he’s put in the time and he has experience. You have a lot more freedom to do different things.”