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QB Jacob Guy makes impression on Florida coach Jim McElwain

 
Jacob Guy (2), now a walk-on Gator quarterback, competes for Pasco High against Santa Fe during the 2011 playoffs. Pasco won 21-14. [DANIEL WALLACE   |   Times]
Jacob Guy (2), now a walk-on Gator quarterback, competes for Pasco High against Santa Fe during the 2011 playoffs. Pasco won 21-14. [DANIEL WALLACE | Times]
Published March 31, 2015

GAINESVILLE — As Florida's scholarship quarterbacks work to make an impression on the new coaching staff, walk-on Jacob Guy has emerged and caught the eye of coach Jim McElwain.

McElwain said Guy came in and had "a really good scrimmage" during Saturday's team scrimmage. With last year's starting QB Treon Harris out for three practices due to the murder of his cousin in Miami, Guy has had more opportunities to get reps.

"He does a nice job," McElwain said. "He's a big, strong guy that throws the ball well. I think he did a pretty good job on scouts last year, at least the bit I watched. He's a guy that's getting a little bit better and there at the end, just an overall understanding of what we're trying to accomplish. He's never had this many reps. That's just kind of how it works. You're never just standing. He's taking advantage of the opportunity."

At 6 feet 5, 224 pounds, the Dade City Pasco alum has size that distinguishes him from the other QBs.

"He's got good size, good velocity," McElwain said. "There again, understanding how to play the position. He got away with a couple throws, misread on a rotation. It worked out, sometimes it does work out. He'll learn from that and that'll be interesting to see how he did in (Monday's) practice (after film review)."

A PERSONAL TOUCH: Florida LB coach Randy Shannon has endured his share of family tragedy, and the Miami native said Monday he's constantly offering Harris, who returned to practice Monday, a place of solace as he grieves the loss of his cousin.

"We talk," Shannon said. "We talked a lot. Knowing Treon's family, personally, knowing what he's been through and you talk to them, communicate to them but you also don't make him do anything, but you try to make him feel more relief than just the anger. You get him to understand that certain things in life are tough but you've got to always keep moving forward because you have goals in life.

"He has goals in life that he's shared with me and things that he shared with the coaching staff. We're there for him. We're his family, extended family up in Gainesville and he's got his family back down in Miami. We're happy that he's back but like any process we're going to get him through this process being away from home."

STATE SHOWDOWN: The fifth-ranked Gators baseball team (23-6) plays No. 8 Florida State (22-7) at 6 tonight in Jacksonville. This will be the second meeting of the season between the teams. The Gators defeated FSU 14-8 at on March 17 in Gainesville. Freshman RHP and Tampa Alonso alum Alex Faedo (1-0, 1.59) will make his third start of the season for the Gators. In 17 innings and eight appearances, Faedo has 18 strikeouts and has allowed three walks.

TITLE-SEEKING: The defending national champion and No. 2 gymnastics team will travel to Morgantown, W.Va. this weekend to compete in the NCAA Regional competition. The field for the Morgantown Regional includes No. 11 Stanford, No. 14 Illinois-Champaign, No. 19 Arkansas, No. 25 New Hampshire and No. 36 West Virginia. The meet will begin at 4 p.m. Saturday. The top two teams and the top two all-around competitors (who are not on an advancing team) from each of six region sites advances to the NCAA Championships, April 17-19 in Fort Worth, Texas.

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Contact Antonya English at aenglish@tampabay.com. Follow@TBTimes_Gators.