The Florida Gators are coming off of a tough Sugar Bowl loss to Louisville and now face a 2013 season down two players, as both sophomore quarterback Jacoby Brissett and sophomore running back Chris Johnson are transferring.
The school announced the news on Sunday and it was expected, since head coach Will Muschamp already announced that Jeff Driskel would be the starting quarterback for 2013 after leading the team through the 2012 season.
"Both Jacoby and Chris expressed an interest in transferring and getting a fresh start," Muschamp said in a statement, according to ESPN.com. "We are very thankful for their contributions to the University of Florida and wish them the best of luck."
Brissett competed with Driskel for the starting job during the spring and in football camp and started the first game of the season against Bowling Green. Muschamp said both quarterbacks would play in the game, with Driskel starting at receiver, but eventually Driskel distinguished himself and took over the starting job.
During the first game, Brissett only went 3 of 5 passes for 31 yards while playing 11 snaps, while Driskel completed 10 of 16 passes for 114 yards and one touchdown and was on the field for 52 of UF's 63 offensive snaps, according to ESPN.com.
Brissett eventually received more playing time in routs against Kentucky and South Carolina and alsop played in place of Driskel when he got hurt against Louisiana-Lafayette late in the third quarter. He led the team on a touchdown drive and later started the following game against Jacksonville State and completed 14 of 22 passes for 154 yards. That was hit final stat line for the Gators.
For the season, Brisset threw for 249 yards and one touchdown with zero interceptions. He completed over 65 percent of his passes, but did not play in the Sugar Bowl. The previous season, he played in eight games and passed for 206 yards with two touchdowns and four interceptions. Brisset started two games for the Gators in place of injured starter John Brnatley.
The loss of Brisset puts a lot of pressure on Driskel for the 2013 season. The Gators have no players with experience behind Driskel, including Tyler Murphy, who has only appeared in three games in his career. The team also has Skyler Mornhinweg, who will be a redshirt freshman next season, and Max Staver, who is a four star recruit from Tennessee.
Driskel was solid for the Gators, passing for 1,646 yards and 12 touchdowns, while also coming second on the team in rushing with 408 yards and four scores. Driskel completed over 63 percent of his passes, but had issues with getting the ball down field and taking sacks in the pocket. If he gets seriously injured in 2013, the Gators will have little to fall back on.
The team will also be young at wide receiver and will only have two receivers who have caught more than eight passes in their careers, according to ESPN.com. Senior Solomon Patton and junior Andre Debose will provide some comfort for Driskel, but he will have to work on getting the ball to receivers in space and giving them a chance to make plays.
The loss of Johnson will hurt the Gators less, considering they have Mike Gillislee and that he only gained 35 yards on five carries this season. Johnson's biggest impact was on special teams, where he led the team in tackles with 11 in 2012. He did himself no favors in the Sugar Bowl against Louisville, getting ejected after throwing a punch in the second half.
The Gators were ranked 118th in passing in 2012 and will need to improve to take on the top teams in the SEC. The running game was ranked 39th in the nation, while the defense was stellar, allowing just 14.5 points, ranked fifth in the country.
Florida opened the year with seven straight wins, including a victory over then-No. 4 LSU before falling to Georgia 17-9 at home. The loss gave the Bulldogs the advantage in the SEC, allowing them to have a title game matchup with Alabama. Florida then won its next four games in a row to finish the season, including a 37-26 victory over Florida State to end the year. Since Georgia had two losses after being defeated by Alabama, Florida was selected to go the Sugar Bowl to face Big east champion Louisville.
The Gators had trouble scoring points all season, but were bailed out by a stellar defense. The unit allowed 20 points or less in nine games this year and pitched shutouts in two contests, including a 38-0 win against Kentucky.
These two aren't the first player to transfer from Florida this season. The Gators also lost defensive back De'Ante "Pop" Saunders and offensive tackle Matt Patchan, who transferred in December before the Sugar Bowl.
"I really appreciate their time at Florida," Muschamp said to Jacksonville.com. "We wish them the best. I think they just needed a fresh start. That's all I've got to say about it."
Saunders transferred to Louisville to reunite with former Florida coach Charlie Strong, while Patchan will likely go to Ohio State and former head coach Urban Meyer.