USA Today Sports Images (Kim Klement)

At this time last year, Florida head coach Jim McElwain named Luke Del Rio the Gators’ starting quarterback over Austin Appleby. As camp closed and fall practice began, the team started to rally around Del Rio as its quarterback.

Things are different this year as a three-man race continues into fall practice. It’s arm vs. legs vs. brain as Feleipe Franks, Malik Zaire and Del Rio battle it out.

Let’s take a look at where they stand with two more weeks of practice remaining before the showdown with Michigan.

------

* Projecting the defensive depth chart for week-one

* Projecting the offensive depth chart for week-one

* Zaire in the middle of another quarterback battle

* Notebook: No leader named in starting quarterback battle

* Alley: Criminal compliant filed against Florida lineman

* Thursday football practice insider notes

* On the Mark: Five thoughts on the seven suspensions

* Tuesday football practice notes

* Monday football practice insider notes

* McElwain talks suspensions and injuries

* GET TWO MONTHS OF FREE ACCESS

------

Feleipe Franks

Pro-style quarterback

4 STARS

Florida

Crawfordville



RR: 6.0

Ht: 6'6.0"

Wt: 203.0

Class: 2016

3 POSITION 57 NATIONAL 10 STATE

Commitment status:

signed

Florida

1. Feleipe Franks (confidence level: 50%)

I’m about 50% confident in Franks being named the starter right now because there’s no way he’s the third-stringer of the three. Going with the cannon-arm, blue-chip quarterback would jibe with McElwain’s recent “beat the heck out of Michigan” comments at the Rally in The Swamp. The bold move is to start the Feleipe Franks era in grand fashion.

Franks is also the compromise pick. He understands the playbook better than Zaire and is more physically gifted than Del Rio.

Pros: Franks has the strongest arm of the three. The receivers are most comfortable with Franks as he was the only one of the three who participated in spring practice. At 6-foot-5, Franks is the tallest of the quarterbacks and built most like a pro-style pocket passer. He makes some (redshirt) freshman throws, but he shows noticeable confidence in his abilities and those of his receivers.

Cons: He’s not the team’s sharpest decision-maker. He sails more of his throws than you would like at this point in his development. Jerry World in Dallas is a big stage for a quarterback to take the first in-game snaps of his career.

Story continues