GAINESVILLE
— Jacoby
Brissett will take another shot at being a starting quarterback,
though it will not be at Florida.
Brissett,
a true sophomore from Dwyer High School, has informed the Gators that
he will leave the program and is in the process of picking a new
school, a source said. UF coach Will Muschamp must approve any
destination on his list.
By
leaving now, Brissett can go through spring practices with his new
team. He must sit out the upcoming season and can return as a
red-shirt junior in 2014.
A
spokesperson for Florida did not return a message seeking comment.
There
appeared to be no future for him in Gainesville with fellow sophomore
Jeff Driskel firmly planted as the starter. Brissett played sparingly
this year, only earning a true start when Driskel was sidelined by a
sprained ankle. He technically started the season opener when the two
were tangled in a quarterback competition, though he exited after the
first snap and played less than one quarter.
In
six games this season, he completed 23 of 35 passes for 249 yards
with a touchdown pass. He also ran for a touchdown.
Driskel
went 10-2 as the starter. He completed 63.7 percent of his attempts,
averaged 137.2 passing yards per game and threw for 12 touchdowns
against five interceptions. He also rushed for 683 yards, not
counting sacks.
Brissett
leaves the Gators with a promising résumé and no baggage. Despite
getting little opportunity to play this season, his coaches and
teammates praised him throughout the year for accepting his back-up
role and continuing to work hard.
“Jacoby
has been great,” Muschamp said in November. “And Jacoby is a guy
that we have a lot of confidence in.”
When
the team was in New Orleans for the Sugar Bowl last week, offensive
coordinator Brent Pease said, “He’s prepared like he’s going to
have an opportunity to play. He’s professional about it.”
After
the Sugar Bowl, a 33-23 loss to Louisville, Brissett said he was
undecided on his plan. His high school coach, Jack Daniels, believed
he intended to stay at UF through spring.
Daniels
advised him to transfer, but he struggled with the thought of leaving
the Gators.
“You
grow relationships for two years with some of these people you’re
around every day, and it’s hard to leave them,” Brissett said.
It
is not immediately clear where he wants to go. When he first
considered the possibility of transferring, his top choices were West
Virginia, Louisville, Arkansas and North Carolina State.
West
Virginia was among the finalists to sign him out of high school. So
was Wisconsin, which recently lost coach Bret Bielema to Arkansas.
North Carolina showed interest in him in football and basketball. If
he goes to Louisville, he will reunite with former Dwyer teammates
Robert Clark and Gerald Christian.
At
Florida, Brissett’s greatest performance was against
Louisiana-Lafayette on Nov. 10, when Driskel was hurt in the third
quarter. The Gators were losing 20-13 before Brissett led them to the
tying touchdown with 1:14 left. They won 27-20 on a blocked punt that
Jelani Jenkins returned for a touchdown in the final seconds.
Brissett’s
initial choice to sign with Florida two years ago was gutsy. The
Gators already had Driskel -- the top-rated quarterback recruit in
the country -- enrolled and ready for spring practice. Despite that,
as well as his mother publicly disapproving, Brissett chose UF.
From
that moment, it seemed inevitable that one of them would force the
other out.
Driskel
had a head start by arriving as an early enrollee in January 2011,
but Brissett overtook him by mid-season. When starter John Brantley,
a senior, went down for two games due to an ankle injury, Brissett
started at LSU and Auburn. He remained the No. 2 quarterback the rest
of the year with Driskel behind him.
After
the season, though, Muschamp reset the race. He and Pease said they
were even all the way through the first game of the season before
turning to Driskel full-time in Week 2.
Brissett’s
departure leaves the Gators with three scholarship quarterbacks
heading into next season. Skyler Mornhinweg will be a red-shirt
freshman, and Tyler Murphy will be a red-shirt junior.
Neither of
them threw a pass this year.
Florida
also is in line to add Max Staver, a high school player in Brentwood,
Tenn. Staver is committed to the Gators and expected to sign next
month.
