Editor’s Note: This is the second of a 25-part series. Using our still-too-early Top 25, 247Sports is giving a post-National Signing Day outlook for college football’s top teams.

Florida Spring Game : April 7

The Gators enter the third year of the Jim McElwain era with some momentum but also plenty of questions. Florida endured an injury-plagued 2016, but still managed to win the SEC East and finish 9-4.

A strong National Signing Day close helped the Gators reel in a Top 10 class. A strong group is needed, too, as Florida will need to replace eight starters on the defensive side of the ball.

Offense remains a major question mark for Florida. The Gators finished 107th nationally in points per game a season ago as quarterback issues, among other things, plagued the team. Florida has the talent to still compete in the SEC, especially in the weaker East division, but it’ll need an offensive shift to start to contend nationally again.

Offseason Outlook

(Returning Starters: Offense – 10, Defense –3)

Florida hired McElwain, in large part, because of his offensive acumen. He had success at Fresno State, Alabama and Colorado State – all three programs had major upticks in offensive production after McElwain arrived – and this offseason the focus for the Gators must be that.

Last year Florida wasn’t just bad on offense, it was boring. Part of that is due to injuries, especially at quarterback, but mostly the Gators just floundered. That offense wasted what was a Top 10 defense, and if Florida has any hopes of returning to Urban Meyer-level prominence, it must be fixed.

If there’s any plus on that side of the ball, it’s youth. The Gators were young in 2016, and they’ll return almost their entire starting 11 – only left tackle David Sharpe is gone, declaring for the NFL Draft. The offensive line was problematic last year, but the group will be a year older and talented youngsters like Martez Ivey should only improve.

Quarterback remains a question mark (more on that in a bit), but young skill talent like Tyrie Cleveland and Jordan Scarlett give the Gators hope.

Defensively, Florida is replacing a bevy of production. Its three starting linebackers are gone along with three-fourths of the starting secondary. Those losses certainly hurt, but due to all the injuries the team endured, many 2016 backups are now prepared for top billing in 2017. Look for players like CeCe Jefferson, Jabari Zuniga and Chauncey Gardner to elevate from understated to star roles. Plus, it always seems to be next man up in the secondary for Florida.

Offseason Storyline to Follow

It’s all about the quarterback in football, and Florida is still looking for its next one.

That’s been the sentiment for a while, actually. The Gators haven’t had a true answer at the position since Tim Tebow graduated, and a ready-made solution remains elusive. Incumbent Luke Del Rio is out for the spring as he recovers from shoulder surgery, which leaves redshirt freshmen Feleipe Franks and Kyle Trask to contend for reps in his absence.

Del Rio, a rising junior, completed just 56.7 percent of his passes and threw as many interceptions (8) and touchdowns in his debut season as the starter. McElwain and offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier are big believers in Del Rio, but he’s certainly playing from behind coming off injury with talented freshmen chasing him.

Franks is the more decorated of the pair (true freshman Kadarius Toney will also compete for the job). The No. 54 overall player 2016's 247Sports Composite ratings, Franks has the arm and the frame to be everything you’d want a quarterback to be. The knock on him out of high school was his delivery would need refinement and he’d have to improve his accuracy, but Nussmeier said “I think he’s ready” in December when asked if Franks could compete for the starting job in 2017.

Trask comes from Manvel High School in Texas, where he actually backed up current Houston wide receiver D’Eriq King. But Trask is someone who the Florida coaches are said to love. He doesn’t have a lot of game experience, but he has what it takes to push both Franks and Del Rio.

Del Rio is likely the safe pick for the Gators in 2017. But Florida’s offense needs a jump start, and someone like Franks might be the unproven spark that can do just that.

Instant-Impact Addition

Kadeem Telfort (OT): Among the early enrollees, Telfort is the most likely to make an immediate impact. The Gators have a hole to fill at left tackle with Sharpe’s departure, and the 6-foot-7, 300-pound Telfort is certainly a candidate to fill that spot.

He’s long and will have a head start over his classmates to impress the coaches, and he’ll certainly have a chance to compete for that vacated spot. Another possibility is Ivey shifting from guard to tackle, which would open one spot inside.

Either way, Telfort will factor into the Gators' two-deep in 2017.

No. 25: Oregon