Ocala's John Brantley Snapped-Up by Gators

By Jeff Flinn, NFLHS.com

As the recruiting season began to grind to a halt with national Letter of Intent Day, no one was happier to see the first Wednesday in February come and go than Ocala, Fla., quarterback John Brantley, who officially became a Florida Gator that day.

Brantley signed a Letter of Intent with Florida, one of three quarterbacks in coach Urban Meyer's Class of 2007 following their brilliant National Championship Game victory over Ohio State.

But Gainesville wasn't always Brantley's intended target. In April, two weeks after returning from an incredible March trip to Austin, Brantley verbally committed to coach Mack Brown's University of Texas Longhorns.

But once his senior year at Trinity Catholic High School in Ocala was under way, Brantley's devotion to the Longhorns began to waver. The all-state signal-caller -- who had a tremendous junior year in leading Trinity to the state 2B championship -- began to have second thoughts about leaving the state.

Brantley keeps a drive alive in the U.S. Army Bowl Photo by Jeff Flynn

Some recruiting circles wondered if the apparent success of redshirt freshman Colt McCoy at UT was enough to lead Brantley to question his earlier decision.

But considering that Brantley's father was a Gator quarterback in the late 1970s, and his Ocala coach is Kerwin Bell, a former four-year starting QB at Florida -- when the younger Brantley sat down with those around him and began analyzing the schools, the dynamics, his options ... Florida began to make more and more sense.

In December, Brantley put the rumor mill to rest by announcing his decommit from Texas, in order to join Meyer and the Gators.

"Once it got closer to signing day, the distance factor hit home for me," Brantley said. "Being a Gator my entire life, it's always been there for me. I'm just going back to my roots."

Brantley shares a great understanding for the game. At the U.S. Army All-American Game in January, he demonstrated a feel for the game, an ability to sense pressure and flee the pocket and to see the field and make calls or adjust the offense. Brantley seems to have a handle on what quarterbacking at the next level is all about.

Many analysts picture the 6-foot-3, 190-pounder as a Dan Marino- or Peyton Manning-type of pocket passer. But few are aware that Brantley has the speed -- he ran a 4.6 at this summer's Tennessee NIKE Camp -- and the elusiveness to pull it down and run with it when the situation warrants.

While not the most vocal of the All-Americans in San Antonio, Brantley certainly showed his arm strength and exhibited leadership qualities, two factors that help make good quarterbacks great.

And when Brantley arrives in Gainesville after his May graduation, he fully realizes that the Gators will be quarterback Tim Tebow's team to lead. But he's taking that all in stride.

"Right now, I'm planning on redshirting, because of Tebow," he said. "Really, though, the main reason I'm redshirting is just getting used to college, the whole offensive system. I think every quarterback needs to redshirt; I think it's a good idea."

Redshirt or no, one thing is for certain -- Urban Meyer is glad Brantley thought committing to Florida was a good idea.

Story courtesy Red Line Editorial, Inc.