The suspense is over.
Florida coach Jim McElwain announced Wednesday that redshirt freshman Feleipe Franks will be the team's starting quarterback in the opener against Michigan.
"The whole body of work from spring on," said McElwain of why Franks got the opportunity. "He deserves it. He's done a really good job. Not to say the other guys didn't."
McElwain was asked how Franks, who has yet to play a game in college, would handle a tremendous atmosphere he'll enter when Florida and Michigan square off at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
"In that big stage, the guy's got a big arm, too," he said. "You know what? He's played in state championship games. He'll be ready to go."
McElwain also commented that other teams might try to cover such information up, but he claimed there are no secrets these days. While he didn't say his name, it was a clear reference to Michigan's Jim Harbaugh. The only things under more security than Michigan's roster and depth chart these days are the nuclear codes.
As for Franks, he's a former four-star prospect from Florida's 2016 recruiting class. He did not play last season but was considered by many a favorite to land the job this year. Franks was the No. 1 quarterback out of spring practice, but redshirt junior Luke Del Rio (2016's starter) missed it completely due to surgeries and graduate transfer Malik Zaire was not on the team yet.
Of course, just because Franks will start does not mean he'll be the only Florida quarterback playing in the game. While he wouldn't go into detail, when McElwain was asked about the possibility of the others playing, he said: "We have a plan." McElwain recently noted that all three would play in the opener, and there's a good chance that's still the case.
