McElwain not ready to name Florida's starting QB

Those hoping for some clarity on the Florida quarterback situation for the opening game versus Michigan will be disappointed, as head coach Jim McElwain offered no hints to how he is leaning.

The competition between Luke Del Rio and Feleipe Franks was expected to be close, and the situation was made even tighter with the arrival of Notre Dame grad transfer Malik Zaire.

It seems all three have the potential to lead the Gators onto the field against the Wolverines.

"The competition has really brought out some good things," McElwain said on Wednesday. "You're going to see a bunch of them in there playing. I'm not naming a starter right now."

The quarterback position has been a constant issue for Florida since the legendary Tim Tebow graduated in 2009, with the team consistently ranking in the bottom half in passing stats every season. Last year, both Del Rio and Austin Appleby saw time under center, with Florida finishing 79th in the nation in passing yards per game.

Given his past success in grooming quarterbacks, one of the reasons McElwain was brought to Florida was to fix the passing game. While the Gators have won back-to-back SEC East titles, the main reason has been an incredible defensive unit.

With many of the stars from that defense now gone to the NFL, it will be up to the offense to improve for the 2017 season if Florida is to make it three titles in a row. The fact McElwain hasn't named a starter this close to the opening week can't inspire much confidence that the fortunes of the offense will change this year.