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Garrick McGee, a former quarterback at Oklahoma, has been focusing on football through a different lens after serving as an analyst in 2020. However, this upcoming season he is making his return to the sidelines.
In January, Florida football head coach Dan Mullen announced McGee’s promotion to the program’s quarterbacks coach.
McGee focusing on building depth
As a former head coach and offensive coordinator, McGee has extensive experience in SEC football. Furthermore, he served as a defensive analyst for the Gators during the 2020 season. Bringing with him a wealth of knowledge, he should be well equipped in helping Mullen’s staff replace Kyle Trask.
The Gators already have a starter in place for the 2021 season in redshirt junior quarterback Emory Jones. In the 2020 season, Jones tossed for 221 yards and two touchdowns. Additionally, he rushed for 217 yards and two touchdowns.
Nonetheless, McGee expects redshirt freshman quarterback Anthony Richardson to get plenty of action in the upcoming season. With a strong dedication to learning more and improving, McGee believes Richardson is more than capable of earning his time on the field in 2021.
He talked about Richardson’s passion for the success of the Florida Gators football program. Furthermore, he expects the redshirt freshman will be serving a role similar to Jones’ throughout his first three years with the Gators.
Emphasis on rotating players
As for who is pushing for the number three spot, McGee said he has seen plenty of commitment and talent in his backups.
As for how he plans to balance giving Richardson playing time while also giving Jones the reps he needs, he does not expect there to be any difficulties. He explained his appreciation for how much playing time Mullen distributes among all players, including the backups.
Looking ahead to the 2021-22 season
After watching how Mullen led the Gators program throughout the 2020 season, McGee shared how he has developed a new level of respect for Mullen.
He looks forward to Mullen’s practice of rotating players and implementing the quarterbacks this upcoming season. He explained how he sees this as Mullen’s vision of building depth in the team.
“It gives everyone a chance to get prepared for the game and have passion about their preparation because they know at some point they are going to be out on the field,” said McGee.
Looking ahead to the fall, keep an eye on how McGee is working to elevate his quarterbacks unit to elite status.
