Florida Football: QBs the UF defense will face in 2024

Photo Credit Chris Spears

Co-defensive coordinator Austin Armstrong needs a good year for stopping opposing quarterbacks (Photo by Chris Spears)

The late great Al McGuire called his defensive philosophy of taking out the other team’s best player, “cut the head off the snake.” What worked in basketball also works in football, especially now that the game has become so quarterback centered.

A year ago, the Gators’ inability to stop opposing quarterbacks had everything to do with an unacceptable 5-7 record. The Gators got to quarterbacks only 22 times for sacks and they picked off only three passes all season. Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels of LSU averaged 14.3 yards per pass attempt against the Gators. He also ran for 234 yards. Carson Beck of Georgia threw for 11.3 yards per attempt and Spencer Rattler of South Carolina was good for 10.4.

In the offseason, Billy Napier gutted his defensive staff. The only returnees from a year ago are outside linebackers coach Mike Peterson and co-defensive coordinator Austin Armstrong. He brought in Gerald Chatman from Tulane to coach the D-line, Will Harris from the NFL Los Angeles Chargers to coach the secondary and creeper defense guru Ron Roberts as the co-DC and inside linebackers coach.

Their job will begin with neutralizing quarterbacks, in other words, cutting the head off the snake. Here is a look at the opposing quarterbacks of every D1 team on the UF schedule in 2024.

Cam Ward, Miami (6-2, 223, SR/TR): He started his career at Immaculate Word, a Southland Conference D1AA team where he ripped and shredded. In two years at Washington State, he started 25 games, completing 65.5 percent of his passes for 6,968 yards, a very pedestrian 7.1 yards per attempt. He threw for 48 touchdowns with 16 interceptions. He was sacked 84 times in two years at Wazzoo. Three starters return on the UM offensive line along with two returning starters at WR. Miami returns three starters on the O-line and two starting wide receivers. Miami at Florida, August 31

Conner Weigman, Texas A&M (6-3, 215, RJR): He’s been hyped as the second coming ever since arriving in College Station, but he has only been healthy for nine games in two years. His touchdown to interception rate is excellent – 16-2 – and he has been a productive runner with 160 yards (4.1 per carry), but he is injury-prone. He has had two big games in his career (336 passing yards and four TDPs against Ole Miss in 2022; 336 passing yards in a loss to Miami in 2023). He is 5-3 as a starter, 2-3 on the road. The Aggies return three O-line starters and two starting wide receivers. Texas A&M at Florida, September 14

Blake Shapen, Mississippi State (6-0, 206, SR): When Will Rogers, the school’s all-time leading passer, hit the transfer portal, new coach Jeff Lebby turned to a quarterback with whom he had some familiarity in Shapen, who started 24 games the last three years at Baylor. Shapen has played in 29 games the last three years, completing 63.7 percent of his passes for 5,574 yards and 36 TDs with 13 picks. He was 13 TDPs, three picks in a 3-9 season a year. Shapen is 12-12 as a starter. Mississippi State doesn’t return a single starter on the offensive unit. Florida at Mississippi State, September 21

KJ Jefferson, UCF: At Arkansas last season, Jefferson was hyped as teetering on the verge of a first round draft pick type of season. When the stats didn’t match those of 2022 his draft stock dropped like a rock so he’s trying to have a career do-over at UCF where Gus Malzahn works best with dual threat quarterbacks. In 36 career starts, Jefferson is 20-16. He has thrown for 7,911 yards (8.2 per attempt) and 67 TDPs with 18 picks in his career. As a runner, Jefferson has 1,876 yards, 3.6 per carry and 21 touchdowns. He threw for 255 yards and two touchdowns, ran for 92 yards and another TD a year ago when Arkansas upset Florida in The Swamp. The Knights return three O-line starters and all three starters at wide receiver.  UCF at Florida, October 5

Nico Iamaleava, Tennessee (6-6, 206, SO): He is the $8 million man. That is what his NIL deal was before he ever took a college snap. He has only one start in his career, the Vols’ 35-0 win over Iowa in the Gator Bowl in which he was 12-19 passing for 151 yards (7.9 per attempt) and a touchdown. He ran for three touchdowns in the bowl game, gaining 27 yards on 15 attempts. There isn’t a lot of college film on Iamaleava, but he has a big arm and has shown some real elusiveness outside the pocket. The Vols will have two new starters on the O-line and only one returning starter at wide receiver. Florida at Tennessee, October 12

Brock Vandagriff, Kentucky (6-3, 205, RSO/TR): ZERO career starts. Hyped up so much coming out of high school that he was going to step in and take over for Stetson Bennett and cause Carson Beck to transfer. None of that happened of course. He was 3-5 passing in his first two seasons at UGa, 12-18 for 165 yards and two touchdowns last year backing up Beck. In high school he was considered the nation’s top dual threat QB. At UK, he will be operating behind an O-line that returns three starters. The other two starters are projected to be former Gators, Gerald Mincey who spent the last two years at Tennessee, and Jalen Farmer, who appeared in six games at UF last year. The Wildcats have one of the nation’s best WR groups. Kentucky at Florida, October 19

Carson Beck, Georgia (6-4, 220, RSR): He would have been an early round draft pick if he had chosen to leave, but he came back for his senior year in search of a national championship. He’s on everybody’s Heisman watch list after throwing for 3,941 yards (9.5 per attempt) and 24 touchdowns (6 picks) while going 13-1 as a starter a year ago. A pure pocket passer, Beck was sacked only 13 times last year. Expectations are that he will be looking to thrown more downfield this season. Georgia is pretty much the consensus No. 1 preseason national championship pick. Georgia returns four offensive line starters and all three starters at wide receiver.  Florida-Georgia in Jacksonville, November 2.

Quinn Ewers, Texas (6-3, 206, RJR): A year ago he cut off the mullet, quit bleaching his hair and became the mature leader the Longhorns needed to make it to the College Football Playoff. He has an NFL ready arm and a whole cast of deep threat receivers to throw to. A year ago he averaged 8.8 yards per attempt while throwing for 3,479 yards and 22 touchdowns. The offense is expected to open up quite a bit this season. Ewers is 16-6 as a starting quarterback, 10-2 last season. He has missed five games over the past two seasons due to injuries. Career numbers are 5,656 passing yards (8.2 per attempt) for 37 touchdowns and 12 picks. The wide receivers are all new but four starters return on the O-line. Florida at Texas, November 9

Garrett Nussmeier, LSU (6-2, 198, RJR): He spent the last two seasons as Jayden Daniels’ caddy, finally getting a start when Daniels opted out of the Citrus Bowl. Nussmeier threw for 395 yards (8.8 per attempt) and three touchdowns to lead LSU to a win in that one. His career numbers are 129-219 for 1,720 yards (7.9 per attempt) and 11 touchdowns with seven picks. He has a big arm but stands in the pocket, unlike Daniels who was as dangerous with his feet as he was with his arm. The big question is can LSU protect Nussmeier? Daniels was so mobile that he made the LSU O-line look respectable. Four offensive line starters return but only one returning wide receiver. LSU at Florida, November 16.  

Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss (6-2, 220, SR): Dart has made phenomenal progress in two years working with Lane Kiffin to the point he’s on most Heisman watch lists. He is a real dual threat who has thrown for 7,961 yards (8.5 per attempt) and 52 touchdowns (21 picks) in his career with 1,046 rushing yards for another 11 touchdowns. A year ago he improved the TDPs to 23 and cut the INTs from 11 to five. He will have the benefit of the SEC’s best running backs room and a defense that can finally get him the football. Ole Miss also has the best wide receiver collection in the league. Three returning starters on the O-line plus two who started at Washington. Ole Miss at Florida, November 23

DJ Uiagalelei, Florida State (6-4, 250, SR): He has never lived up to the hype whether at Clemson or at Oregon State where he threw for 2,638 yards (8.4 per attempt) and 21 TDPs with seven INTs a year ago. Can Mike Norvell do for Uiagalelei what neither Dabo nor Jonathan Smith could do? He has the big arm, but has never seemed decisive enough. Three starters return on an offensive line that allowed 25 sacks a year ago. All the receivers are brand new, too. Florida at Florida State, November 30