The Florida Gators may have a new quarterback to build around, and one SEC recruiting coordinator thinks Will Griffin brings at least some of the same ingredients that made Tim Tebow such a force.
That comparison comes with a warning attached. The coordinator was careful not to put Griffin directly in Tebow’s lane, but the traits are there to see. “I'm never going to compare anyone to Tebow, but I think (Will) Griffin has the potential to have that kind of impact,” the coordinator said.
Griffin is a freshman quarterback with real physical presence at 6-foot-2 and 225 pounds, and Florida is hoping that size, arm strength and mobility can help spark the kind of turnaround the program has been chasing for years. The Gators have spent a long stretch trying to get back to the level where they were once a yearly national championship threat, and new head coach Jon Sumrall is now the one tasked with pushing them there.
The recruiting coordinator pointed to the same broad profile that once made Tebow such a unique figure in Gainesville. “He's a big kid with a strong arm.
Just like Tebow, Griffin uses his physical ability and athleticism to make plays on the ground and is a local high school legend just like Tebow. Griffin has a lot of work to do, but he has the potential to be a program changer for Florida.”
Florida’s need at quarterback has been obvious for a while. The program has been searching for elite play at the position, and Griffin’s arrival gives the Gators a player with the kind of ceiling that can at least fuel that conversation.
Rivals rated Griffin a four-star prospect in the 2026 recruiting class and listed him as the No. 19 quarterback in the country. Florida had plenty of competition to land him, with Florida State, Ohio State, Michigan and Texas all among the schools that pushed for his commitment.
Griffin also backed up the hype with production at Jesuit High School in Tampa, Florida. In his senior season, according to MaxPreps, he completed 65 percent of his passes for 2,534 yards, 37 touchdowns and only two interceptions. He added 296 rushing yards and six more scores on the ground.
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