GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- As expected, backup quarterback Austin Appleby took the first snaps in practice on Tuesday following a shoulder injury to starter Luke Del Rio that will sideline him for this week's game against South Carolina.

Though Jim McElwain wasn't ready to answer questions about who would start against the Gamecocks on Monday, Appleby is the anticipated starter after starting the Tennessee and Vanderbilt games earlier this year. Neither true freshman quarterback, Feleipe Franks or Kyle Trask, has taken a snap yet at the college level, though McElwain indicated it would be an open battle for the job this week.

"Yep. We'll figure out," McElwain said, before saying "we'll find out" when asked if the freshmen were ready to play.

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Franks, who was the backup to Appleby when Del Rio went down earlier this year with an MCL sprain, once again took the second-team reps in practice during "fastball" work, a series of four plays run at quick tempo to begin practice.

Players say they have confidence in whoever steps out onto the field, even the freshmen.

"(Offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier) does a good job getting those guys prepared," senior receiver Ahmad Fulwood said. "Even though they weren’t taking first-team reps or second-team reps these past few weeks, they still look sharp when they go to their third-team reps. It still gets on like they’re the first team. Whoever comes to play this week is going to be prepared."

Injury Update:

-- Starting kick returner Chris Thompson, who McElwain said was "highly questionable," was at practice on Tuesday.

-- Starting quarterback Luke Del Rio was not spotted at practice.

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Contact Thomas Goldkamp by 247Sports' personal messaging system or on Twitter at @ThomasGoldkamp.