GAINESVILLE — Florida's quarterback competition will stretch into the season.
Coach Jim McElwain said Thursday that sophomore Treon Harris and redshirt freshman Will Grier both will play in the Sept. 5 season opener against New Mexico State.
"It will play itself out," said McElwain, who has not named a starter. "Like I've said, and I mean this, you guys keep pushing for this, but there isn't a timetable. The timetable is figure out a way to win the football game with whoever is moving the team."
Harris started the final six games last season, completing 49.5 percent for 1,019 yards, with nine touchdowns and four interceptions. He also ran for 338 yards and three scores. Grier, one of the top high school prospects in 2013, missed all of last season after injuring his lower back.
McElwain was hired in part to turn around one of the SEC's most pedestrian passing games. UF ranked 114th, 107th and 104th in passing yards in Division I-A the past three years.
KEY TACKLE IVEY HURT: Tackle Martez Ivey, the prized recruit of McElwain's first class, is out indefinitely with a leg injury. He is scheduled for arthroscopic surgery today to "get that cleaned up," said McElwain, who declined to reveal details. Ivey likely would have started. McElwain said the injury is "a preexisting thing that was kind of bothering him. … It doesn't appear to be a season-ending thing."
USF: Freshman in mix
TAMPA — With punt returner Hassan Childs out for the season because of a right knee injury, USF is considering turning to a true freshman. Jordan Reed is currently ahead in the tight competition that includes Tampa Bay Tech alumnus Tajee Fullwood and receivers Tyre McCants and Chase Whitehead, linebackers and special team's coach Raymond Woodie said.
Reed had 304 yards on punt returns as a senior at Plant High last season. "It's time for someone to step it up," Woodie said. "Out of those four, going into next week, we're going to know."
MEDICAL MATTERS: Starting left guard Thor Jozwiak, who appeared to sustain a left ankle injury Wednesday, was in a walking boot during practice.
FSU: Top recruit ready
TALLAHASSEE — Florida State freshman defensive end Josh Sweat will be available for the Sept. 5 opener against Texas State. Sweat, considered one of the nation's top prospects in this past recruiting cycle, suffered a serious knee injury last September and was a long shot to play in his first year at FSU. "He'll play," coach Jimbo Fisher said. "He hasn't missed a practice, nothing. Haven't seen one thing (slow him) and am very blessed with that." Sweat could start in place of injured edge rusher Lorenzo Featherston, who has missed the past couple of weeks after a knee scope and is taking longer to recover than expected. "Nothing that won't heal, it's just that he had a lot of loose stuff in there," Fisher said.
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N.C. STATE: Shadrach Thornton, the team's leading rusher last season, has been suspended for the first two games for a violation of athletic department rules.
TENNESSEE: Safety LaDarrell McNeil is out indefinitely and receiver Alton "Pig" Howard has been suspended for the opener. Coach Butch Jones said McNeil was being evaluated for "neck instability" and would miss "an extended period of time." Jones said Howard was suspended for a violation of team rules.
Times correspondent Jeff Odom contributed to this report, which used information from the Orlando Sentinel and Times wires.