To the surprise of absolutely no one, the son of a former USC legend will be under center when Florida opens the 2016 season.
Exiting spring practice, all signs pointed to Luke Del Rio being tapped as the Gators’ starting quarterback. Following a competition that extended on into summer camp, those signs came to fruition Thursday, with Jim McElwain announcing that Del Rio will start the opener Sept. 3 against UMass in The Swamp.
Del Rio had been part of what turned into a two-man competition with Austin Appleby, a transfer from Purdue.
“Luke is going to work as the starter the rest of camp and start in the season opener barring any unforeseen development,’' the UF head coach said according to the school’s official website. “Our other quarterbacks remain in the plans and are ready to move forward and help the Gators any way they can.”
Del Rio, the son of former USC great and current NFL head coach Jack Del Rio, transferred to Oregon State from Alabama in January of 2014. He was granted immediate eligibility by the NCAA, and served as Sean Mannion’s primary backup last season as he completed 8-of-18 passes for 141 yards.
In May of 2015, he transferred from OSU to Florida. He sat out the 2015 season, and now has two years of eligibility remaining to use in Gainesville.