This article originally appeared with The Red & Black on July 10, 2015 and can be found here. 

The Florida Gators thought they had the answer to replacing Urban Meyer in 2010. Fast-forward to today, and it’s evident that wasn’t the case.

Florida is coming off the end of an unexpectedly subpar four-year run under head coach Will Muschamp. Muschamp’s last season saw the Gators go 7-5 with blowout losses to Missouri and Alabama and a clumsy 23-20 loss in overtime to South Carolina. The defeat against the Gamecocks was the final straw for Muschamp, leaving the door for someone else to lead the way in The Swamp.

 

Stepping in as the new Florida head coach is Jim McElwain. The former Colorado State head coach is expected to do something Muschamp never could: build a reliable offense. He’s done it before; McElwain was the Alabama offensive coordinator for four seasons and won two BCS national championships during that time. McElwain proved himself as a head coach by going 22-16 with the Rams, which includes 10 wins last season. The predominant thought is it’s a matter of when McElwain turns Florida around, not if.

The key to success in McElwain’s first season at Florida is finding a quarterback. Muschamp never got it right in his tenure, missing with mediocre passers like John Brantley, Jacoby Brissett and Jeff Driskel. Driskel transferred to Louisiana Tech in the offseason, leaving McElwain with two viable options behind center.

Redshirt freshman Will Grier is one of the names contending to start when the Gators face New Mexico State on Sept. 5. A former four-star recruit according to Rivals.com, Grier was able to run and throw with ease in high school. He posted solid numbers in the spring scrimmage on April 11 by completing seven passes on nine attempts for 130 yards. Like Driskel before him, Grier is expected to be the next great Florida quarterback. McElwain and new offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier must put him in a position to make that happen.

Sophomore Treon Harris may want fans to pump the brakes on Grier talk. Harris showed flashes of talent in 2014, passing for 1,019 yards with nine touchdowns and four interceptions. His finest moment came on Oct. 4 when he rallied Florida from a 9-0 deficit to beat the Tennessee Volunteers in Neyland Stadium 10-9. After an off-the-field incident led to him sitting out the LSU loss, Harris came back and helped Florida finish the season with four more wins. Grier is seen as the better fit for the Gators’ offensive scheme, but if Harris can make plays like he did several times last year, he may steal the job.

No one can say Muschamp cannot coach defenses, and it looks like his work will come to Florida’s advantage this year. The Gators return seven starters from a defensive unit that placed 15th in total defense one year ago. Leading the charge is senior linebacker Antonio Morrison, who finished with a team-high 101 tackles. The returning pieces of last year’s defense display the ability to make interceptions, as only one of Florida’s 16 picks in 2014 was made by someone no longer on the squad. New defensive coordinator Geoff Collins is fresh off a fine run in the same capacity at Mississippi State, and it’s safe to say his job is easier thanks to the talent accumulated by the last coaching staff.

McElwain may right the ship quickly for the Gators, but the schedule does him no favors. Florida only has three home Southeastern Conference games in 2015, which means road trips to play Kentucky, Missouri, LSU and South Carolina. Five of Florida’s 12 opponents finished last season ranked in the top 17 of the AP Poll. The Gators should anticipate a bowl appearance in McElwain’s first season, but greater expectations are irrational.