Florida head coach Billy Napier named Graham Mertz the starting quarterback of the Gators last week, but now another battle is brewing in the position room.
Jack Miller III is dealing with tendinitis in his rotator cuff, which means the backup spot on the depth chart is up for grabs. Most who follow the team closely would expect redshirt freshman Max Brown to step into that role, but it’s seventh-year college veteran [autotag]Micah Leon[/autotag] who is turning heads during fall camp.
“Now, Micah has proved to be very effective,” Napier said. “He’s smart, he’s a student of the game. The guy throws a really good ball.”
Napier looked excited about the possibility of the walk-on getting a shot when talking to the media on Saturday.
“Man, these scrimmages, he just moves the ball right down the field every time,” he said. “Micah has done a really nice job and we’ve given him some reps and he’s made the most of those reps.”
When pressed for a firm answer, Napier didn’t explicitly state that Leon was in the running for the backup spot, but he didn’t deny it either.
“We’re giving him reps for a reason,” he said.
Leon made his college debut in 2021, completing 10 of 13 passes for 62 yards for the UConn Huskies against Houston. If Miller’s injury persists, he could see the field again. Leon would have opportunities in blowouts and kneel-down situations as a backup.
“First of all the guy is an experienced player. He’s played some football in the past,” Napier said. “Micah is a guy that wanted to go to graduate school at the University of Florida, had aspirations considering coaching to some degree, so (he’s) a guy that brought a lot to that room, you know, and I think we are always looking for guys like him.”
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