Check out where Emory Jones ranks in this quarterback tiers list
Florida quarterback Emory Jones will finally have his chance to shine as the Gators starter. He has spent his first three seasons patiently waiting behind former quarterbacks Feleipe Franks and Kyle Trask. But when Florida runs out of the tunnel in the Swamp on Sept. 4 versus FAU, Jones will be the unquestioned starter.
However, Gators fans and the college football world have seen glimpses of what Jones can do. He stepped in for Trask after he went to the locker room with an injury in 2019 versus Auburn and led the offense to a field goal. Trask would return and help Florida win the game, but it was an impressive moment for the young quarterback in a top-10 matchup.
Ben Kercheval of CBS Sports categorized most of the FBS quarterbacks into tiers ahead of the 2021 season in a recent article. He established five tiers in which he ranked the signal callers from Heisman Trophy candidates to ones who are primed for a breakout season and those who need to be more consistent. When generating this list, he valued experience over potential and efficiency over raw numbers.
Jones entered Kercheval’s list in Tier IV of quarterbacks to keep an eye on because he believes they are headed for college football stardom. He made the list with other young gunslingers like Clemson’s D.J. Uiagalelei, Alabama‘s Bryce Young and Maryland’s Taulia Tagovailoa.
The LaGrange, Georgia, native fits well on this list because of his strong stats despite limited sample size, averaging two touchdowns for every interception he throws. Jones’ completions have also gone for a first down 31.3% of the time, and he has collected a passer rating of 128.6.
These numbers are impressive because his rushing efficiency wasn’t really accounted for. He proved he was one of the most effective quarterbacks in this area last season.
Look for Jones to flourish when he finally takes the reins of Florida’s and coach Dan Mullen‘s offense.
