How Will the Gators' Offense Change Under QB Max Brown's Lead?

Gators head coach Billy Napier will tailor the offense to play to the strengths of redshirt freshman signal caller Max Brown. What will that look like?

Max Brown will take the field for Florida's first offensive snap against No. 4 Florida State on Saturday following the nondisplaced collarbone fracture Graham Mertz suffered against Missouri. The moment will mark Brown's first start at the collegiate level after serving as a backup through 24 games.

As Brown assumes the reins of the offense, head coach, offensive play-caller and quarterbacks coach Billy Napier is tasked with tailoring the attack to Brown's strengths.

The Gators head coach is aware of the challenge but underplayed the process as one every offense undergoes with a changing of the guard at football's top position.

"Every offense that you have evolves based off what the quarterback is really good at," Napier said when asked about altering the offense with Brown stepping into the starting spot on Monday.

"I think ultimately we just have to play a brand of football that relative to Max and his experience, what he knows and what he's got confidence in. I think we've still got to feature the players that we know are important each week. Every offense I've ever been a part of starts with what the quarterback can do well. So that will be part of the plan."

The move from Mertz to Brown marks the question: What exactly changes for the Florida offense?

It won't consist of an extensive restructuring to better meet the demands of Brown's physical and mental capacities in just one week. That's not a feasible ask at this stage in the season. But, the offense is likely to realize a contrast in tendencies — including utilizing previously installed concepts at a higher clip — in the regular-season finale.

During Brown's fourth-quarter relief efforts against Missouri, where he accounted for 98 all-purpose yards, the Gators provided a glimpse into that future. 

It showed that, to move forward, they have to go back. 

When Napier arrived at the University of Florida, it was evident from his time at Louisiana-Lafayette that the Gators would be a run-first offense.

Montrell Johnson Jr. and Trevor Etienne led the effort in 2022 to post a top-30 rushing attack in the country.

But, what set the unit apart was one of the few impact pieces Napier was left on the roster, dual-threat quarterback Anthony Richardson. The offense took a balanced approach, and the eventual No. 4 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft displayed his unparalleled athleticism, incorporating designed quarterback rushes, read-option concepts and the danger of Richardson taking off to escape duress opened up running lanes.

Florida went on to post the nation's 24th-ranked rushing attack. He compiled 654 yards and nine scores rushing to impact the highly-regarded operation significantly.

However, after acquiring Mertz in the portal this offseason, the healthy dose of designed quarterback rushes and read options Napier incorporated into the game plan a year ago — and during his stint at UL — ceased.

Mertz provided Florida with impressive accuracy and the ability to operate the offense at an uber-effective level beyond even reasonable expectation during the 2023 campaign.

He accounted for 2,903 yards, 20 touchdowns and just three interceptions on 72.5% completion (the fifth-best mark in college football) to make do on his opportunity for a career resurrection in Gainesville. Under his leadership, Florida climbed to No. 40 in total offense and No. 28 in passing offense.

The trade-off for those services was his limitation as a rusher. He showcased a willingness to scramble for extra yardage on occasion, as demonstrated on the play that ultimately ended his season in Columbia, Missouri.

Breaking: Graham Mertz is done for the season with a non-displace fracture in his collarbone

This is the play where he got hurt ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/GdwPMga2MV

— Florida Gators 🐊🔥 (@gatorsszn) November 19, 2023

Still, he wasn't a player UF wanted toting the rock at a high clip.

Along with the team's turnover in the trenches from 2022 to 2023, it played a role in the team's rushing productivity dropping from just over 200 yards per game on the ground to 150 yards per game. Napier realized the trend as the year rolled on, gradually opening the playbook for Mertz and the passing attack to take hold as the feature of the offense.

With Brown, the Gators will likely revert to the run-first approach to maximize the Tulsa, Okla., native's playmaking ability with his legs while simultaneously attempting to mask his inexperience.

In relief of Mertz on Saturday, Brown immediately re-injected life into the rushing game. He accounted for 42 yards on seven carries — including a 27-yard rush off the left side to put the Gators in field goal position for an eventual go-ahead try — and shined promising playmaking attributes as he took over the Florida offense.

Read option concepts and designed quarterback power and draw rushes should be prominent in Florida's approach as it strives to remain as close to the level of success it realized under Mertz while aiding the backup's comfort level in his first career start.

"I think it just adds something to the offense to be able to give us another edge to try to go win football games," Brown said postgame on Saturday about the added rushing presence he brings to the table.

His athleticism may not compare to Richardson's, but using his legs and arm aids the Gators' attack in forcing opposing defenses to account for him to do both while opening more space for Johnson and Etienne to work.

The quarterback rushing game could even be a more integral factor with Brown under center relative to Richardson, in terms of volume, given the former's willingness to run the football. The latter seemingly shifted his focus to progressing in the pocket as a passer after a dynamic day on the ground against Utah in game one of 2022, although he still flashed his rushing talents throughout his 13 starts.

On the passing front, Brown's inexperience in-game will result in a condensed playbook.

Within the remaining plays, look for Napier to move the young quarterback out of the pocket on designed bootlegs and rollouts to cut the field in half. Flood concepts, usually to Brown's right as a right-handed passer, will provide several options for him with a shortened vicinity.

In doing so, Napier will expectedly attempt to simplify the game for Brown, eliminating the complex reads and allowing the young quarterback to operate confidently in the offense. 

However, confidence is not a concern for the redshirt freshman signal caller, who displayed promising poise in a high-pressure setting last week.

"I think Max kind of did what I thought he would do," Napier said about Brown's relief efforts against the Tigers. "I think Max is a competitor. He's got a level of belief in himself. He's always been a very confident guy."

Doubling as an outfielder for Florida's baseball team, Brown also displays impressive arm strength and the ability to throw off-platform down the field at a higher clip than Mertz. Napier may aim to take advantage of those intangibles, allowing Brown to uncork a deep ball or two even on plays he moves beyond the pocket post-snap.

Early in the contest, he'll likely be asked to target underneath to the likes of Ricky Pearsall, Eugene Wilson III, Arlis Boardingham, Hayden Hansen and other pass catchers. As the game rolls on, those short and intermediate targets will set up deep shots, where he can utilize his arm strength to potentially create necessary explosive plays for the Gators to pull off the upset in the Swamp.

Overall, Florida will strive to make Brown's job as easy as possible while hosting the Seminoles on Friday. 

Despite a week dedicated to making the necessary changes to ensure the quarterback can operate freely, he's focused on remaining consistent in his approach ahead of his first career start.

"I think going into each week, you prepare as a starter. So, I don't think it really changes much." 

Kickoff for the annual Sunshine State rivalry matchup is set for 7 p.m. ET on ESPN.

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