Greg Stoda: Tyler Murphy may be better QB fit for Florida Gators than Jeff Driskel

Are the Florida Gators better with Tyler Murphy as their quarterback than they were with Jeff Driskel?

That whispered speculation surely will grow to conversational tone — and perhaps to argumentative shouts — should Murphy lead the Gators to a win Saturday afternoon at LSU, or even if he plays well in defeat.

He’s on that kind of run.

Murphy was an anonymous redshirt junior until he replaced Driskel, who broke his right leg last month against Tennessee, and steered Florida to a come-from-behind victory. Murphy, who had almost no playing experience after basically recruiting himself to the Gators, has been a revelation ever since with poised performances in wins against Kentucky and Arkansas with Driskel, a junior who was a high-profile prep star, out for the season.

“Who knows when the light’s going to go on for a guy?” said CBS college football analyst Gary Danielson, who worked the UF-Tennessee game and will work the Gators-Tigers contest. “The light obviously went on pretty quickly for Tyler.”

And it’s shining, oh, so brightly.

Would there be a quarterback controversy next year should Murphy continue to play well and help deliver Florida a successful season?

Gators coach Will Muschamp didn’t exactly say no.

“It’s all about competing every day. If you look across the board at any position on our team, if a guy’s not performing at a high level, we’re going to go with another guy,” Muschamp said. “Jeff played very well against Toledo. There are some decisions he’d like to have back against Miami (in a loss).”

Driskel then went down with the injury against Tennessee. He was hurt on a play during which he threw a pass that was intercepted and returned for a touchdown.

So, he wasn’t playing at a “high level” … and Murphy is.

“Tyler took major strides when Jeff was out with his appendix in camp,” Muschamp said. “That’s where I saw a different Tyler Murphy. I saw a guy who had great command of our offense and himself growing with confidence, and his teammates’ growing confidence in him.

“He’s done a fabulous job.”

It’ll make for an intriguing story line if Murphy’s stock continues to rise. Who’d be the starting quarterback when practice begins next year?

“There absolutely would be a quarterback controversy, without a doubt,” said ESPN college football analyst and former UF quarterback Jesse Palmer. “How could there not be? Tyler hasn’t been wide-eyed at all. He’s gotten an opportunity and made the most of it.

“He’s a more dynamic runner than Jeff with a quicker burst. He’s been very good on third downs to keep the offense on the field. That’s a great benefit to Florida’s defense, which is the strength of the team.”

And no less a passing authority than South Carolina coach and Gators icon Steve Spurrier said Murphy “has a beautiful throwing motion” that results in a “very catchable ball” for receivers.

Something else Murphy has going for him, Danielson said, is that he has come from being buried on the depth chart to being a proven commodity.

“There’s usually a perception that a third- or fourth-stringer is just a stop-gap guy,” Danielson said. “I’m pretty sure nobody thinks of Tyler as a stop-gap guy anymore.”

Gators offensive coordinator Brent Pease certainly doesn’t.

“Everybody’s feeling good. Everyone is excited about him,” Pease said. “He’s probably doing more than we expected. Now, he knows the standard. He’s doing an exceptional job.

“His approach when he was the third guy was the same as it is now when he’s walking out there as the No. 1 guy. He works hard. He asks good questions. He’s very smart. He wants more.”