Adams: SEC East still Gators' territory

DESTIN, Fla. - A couple of years ago, as Florida celebrated its second football national championship in three years, 2010 must have looked wonderfully appealing to the rest of the SEC East.

By then, Florida's most prominent players - quarterback Tim Tebow, wide receiver Percy Harvin and linebacker Brandon Spikes - would be out of the way, leaving a more level playing field behind them.

But two years later, 2010 no longer offers as much hope for a division that remains top-heavy with Gators.

You can't blame the Gators' finest. Tebow, Harvin and Spikes have moved on.

The problem: The competition hasn't moved up.

Tennessee is in disarray after coaching changes in back-to-back years, Georgia coach Mark Richt is closer to the proverbial hot seat than a championship, and South Carolina still suffers from chronic inadequacy at quarterback and in the offensive line.

The Gators might not have the hardy look of a surefire national championship contender, but they look better than everyone else in the East. And here's the kicker: They look better at quarterback.

Imagine that. They lose a once-in-a-generation player in Tebow, replace him with a three-year backup in John Brantley, and still have an edge at quarterback over their most viable division contenders, South Carolina and Georgia.

Despite playing only in a reserve role, Brantley is already being touted as a future high-round NFL draft choice. Conversely, Georgia is breaking in a new starter in redshirt freshman Aaron Murray, and South Carolina is relying on Stephen Garcia, a returning starter who has yet to win over his coach.

Richt seems just fine with Murray.

"I love the fact that he led his team to the state championship and that he really understands the team concept," Richt said at the SEC spring meetings. "In my opinion, he's not super tall, but he's at least 6-1. So he's tall enough.

"He has got a very strong arm, quick release. He's more mobile that most people want to give him credit for, and he's strong. If you saw him with his shirt off, you would be surprised at how physically strong he is.

"He wants to be special, and he knows it will take a lot of work."

Sounds good, huh?

You might remember that Joe Cox also sounded OK last June when Richt was talking up his next quarterback. But the fifth-year senior too often was overmatched against SEC defenses.

If the Bulldogs are to challenge Florida this season, Murray must be closer to the next Matthew Stafford than the next Joe Cox.

Garcia doesn't have to be a next anybody. He just needs to be a better Stephen Garcia.

Never mind that he started every game last season. Or that he finished second in the conference in passing yardage per game.

His coach seems as uncertain about his junior quarterback as he might a redshirt freshman.

"Hopefully, Stephen Garcia will come around and make a stronger commitment to play," Spurrier said. "If he's gonna be your quarterback, everybody has got to believe in him. We're hoping Stephen will show a little bit stronger commitment level and get himself better prepared."

It gets worse.

"Stephen Garcia went the distance last year (as a starter)," Spurrier said. "He went the distance because we had nobody else. There were times he would have been better off sitting over there.

"We just had to live with everything he did, because we did not have confidence in the next guy to go in there."

A name to remember: Connor Shaw. He's a true freshman quarterback who went through spring practice. Spurrier likes his work ethic and his passing accuracy.

And given Spurrier's track record with quarterbacks, you know he's not afraid to make a change if there's a reasonable alternative.

Changing quarterbacks is easy. Changing the balance of power in the East is the challenge.

John Adams may be reached at 865-342-6284 or adamsj@knoxnews.com.