Mullen's recruiting splash could immediately fix Florida's QB issues

Dan Mullen hasn't taken the field yet with Florida, but the new head coach delivered his first massive win with the program by signing highly-touted four-star quarterback Emory Jones on Wednesday.

Jones had been committed to Ohio State throughout the recruiting process, but decided Tuesday night that he was a better fit with Mullen in the SEC. The 6-foot-3, 196-pounder is the second-ranked dual-threat quarterback in the country and 20th prospect overall on the ESPN 300.

While a player of his talent committing to the Gators is reason enough to celebrate, it's the lack of production at the position he plays that makes this a major win for Florida.

Florida's passing attack was absolutely atrocious under previous coach Jim McElwain. The former Alabama offensive coordinator was quick to blame ex-Gators coach Will Muschamp for leaving him with a lack of talent on offense, but last season was the worst in his tenure.

The Gators were able to overcome the lack of a passing game with one of the top defensive units in the country for McElwain's first two seasons, winning the weak SEC East both times. With the majority of that defensive roster gone in 2017, the team couldn't hide the passing attack any longer, and stumbled to one of the worst seasons in the last 30 years of the program.

So why is the Emory Jones-Dan Mullen combo going to be what gets the Gators' offense back on track? A quick look at Mullen's work with his previous quarterbacks is a great indication.

Alex Smith

(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)

School: Utah
Ranking: 2-star (39th nationally among dual-threat QBs)

Alex Smith came to Utah as a two-star recruit in 2002, and left as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2005 NFL Draft. That's about as sharp a rise as a player can have in the collegiate ranks. Mullen was the quarterbacks coach at Utah under Urban Meyer, and after a 12-0 season in 2004, headed to Florida when Smith headed to the NFL.

Tim Tebow

School: Florida
Ranking: 5-star (4th nationally among QBs)

If Smith was an unheralded recruit heading to Utah, Tim Tebow was the direct opposite when he began his collegiate career at Florida in 2006. One of the most-wanted recruits in recent memory, Tebow flourished under Mullen's watch as offensive coordinator, becoming the first underclassman to win the Heisman Trophy in 2007. He would also be selected in the first round of the NFL Draft after one of the most impressive college careers of all time.

Dak Prescott

(Photo courtesy: Action Images)

School: Mississippi State
Ranking: 3-star (41st nationally among QBs)

When Mullen moved to Mississippi State to take his first head coaching job in 2009, it was unlikely he'd be able to bring in recruits as highly-rated as Tebow. He was clearly unfazed by that challenge, as he flexed his quarterback developing muscles yet again, this time with the 41st-ranked pivot in the class of 2011, Dak Prescott. The 6-foot-4, 225-pounder may have arrived on campus with little fanfare, but he left as one of the best players in program history. Prescott followed up an incredible collegiate career by being named the 2016 AP Offensive Rookie of the Year with the Dallas Cowboys.

Nick Fitzgerald

School: Mississippi State
Ranking: 3-star (88th nationally among athletes)

Mullen's latest quarterback success story is Nick Fitzgerald at Mississippi State. The 6-foot-5, 208-pounder held a scholarship offer from Mullen and Middle Tennessee, with no other school interested in him as a quarterback. Through Fitzgerald's hard work and Mullen's teaching, the rising senior has been an absolute monster for the Bulldogs program. His 1,375 rushing yards ranks as the third-most by a quarterback from the SEC ever.

In Jones, Mullen has perhaps the most talented incoming quarterback he's ever had in his coaching career. With the talent that the new head coach should be able to surround his young pivot with at Florida, don't be shocked if the offensive woes for the once-proud program are fixed, sooner rather than later.

*All stats are as starting quarterbacks under Mullen