Once upon a time, the University of Florida was a major destination for blue-chip quarterback recruits after [autotag]Steve Spurrier[/autotag] turned college football upside-down with his fun-and-gun offense. While [autotag]Kyle Trask[/autotag] was a pleasant surprise and [autotag]Anthony Richardson[/autotag] looks like the real deal — if he can stay healthy — it has been a long while since the Gators have brought in a top-name play-caller out of the prep ranks.
ESPN’s Billy Tucker took on the task of ranking the best college football QB recruits in Elite 11 history and included one Florida QB who is often overlooked: [autotag]Jeff Driskel[/autotag]. A standout as a senior out of Hagerty High in Oveido, Florida, he was ranked as the best pro-style quarterback recruit in his class by Rivals.com and Scout.com while also winning the Maxwell Football Club National High School Player of the Year and the Gatorade Florida Player of the Year awards.
Driskel was originally ranked No. 10 in the class of 2011 and on Tucker’s list finds himself at No. 14. Below is the breakdown of the former Gator.
Driskel had rare physical gifts at 6-3 with 4.6 40-yard dash speed and a strong arm, attributes that helped elevate him above the rest of the competition, including runner-up and fellow Sunshine Stater Teddy Bridgewater at the 2010 finals. As the reigning Gatorade football Player of the Year in Florida, Driskel decided to stay home and attend the University of Florida. He went 11-2 in his first season as a starter and showed promise, but a leg injury spoiled his career in Gainesville. He rebounded after transferring to Louisiana Tech in 2015, throwing for 4,026 yards and 27 touchdowns. Drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the sixth round in 2016, Driskel has bounced around the league, more recently converting to a tight end with the Houston Texans.
The Orlando-area native spent four years at Florida, with one redshirt season, before finishing things off with Louisiana Tech. Driskel’s four years in the NFL were all spent with four different teams, including the Detroit Lions and Denver Broncos as well, and never really found his footing at the next level.
Nonetheless, he represents a highwater mark in Florida’s recruiting efforts when it comes to quarterbacks. After missing out on [autotag]Arch Manning[/autotag] and [autotag]Jaden Rashada[/autotag] recently, the Gator Nation continues to pine for the days when the best in the business wanted to come to Gainesville.
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