The Basics:
Name: Tim Tebow
Number: 15
Height: 6-3
Weight: 232 lbs.
Class: Junior
The Lowdown:
He’s only a junior, but Tim Tebow has already won both a national championship and the Heisman Trophy. A dominant and at times unstoppable offensive player, Tebow has set a new standard for quarterbacks at the college level. A skilled, smart passer (he posted a 66.9 percent completion percentage last season), Tebow is also an absolute bulldozer as a rusher, capable of running past defensive backs and running over defensive linemen.
By The Numbers:
In two seasons at Florida, Tebow has racked up 37 touchdown passes and 3,644 passing yards. He’s also gained 1,364 yards and scored 31 touchdowns on the ground. After splitting time with senior Chris Leak during the Gators’ national championship run in 2006, Tebow proved last season he was more than capable of running the show on his own. He threw for 3,286 yards and 32 touchdowns, ran for 895 yards and 23 touchdowns, and won the Heisman Trophy. Tebow not only led the Gators in rushing, but also led the entire SEC in rushing touchdowns.
Career Highlight:
Tebow dominated in Florida’s 51-31 win over coach Steve Spurrier and South Carolina last season. He completed 22 of 32 passes for 304 yards and added 26 carries for 120 yards. He scored five rushing touchdowns, setting a new Florida record, and threw for two more. Remarkably, those seven touchdowns only
tied a school record, which Tebow now shares with former Gator quarterbacks Danny Wuerffel (a Heisman winner himself), Doug Johnson and Terry Dean.
2008 Outlook:
As good as Tebow was in 2007 – and basically, he was the best player in the country – his Gators actually had a pretty disappointing year. Coming off their 2006 national championship run, a 9-4 season – capped off by an upset loss to Michigan in the Capital One Bowl – could not have been what the Gators had planned. But with coach Urban Meyer bringing in more elite talent with each recruiting class, Tebow figures to have more weapons around him this year, and the Florida offense might be the best we’ve seen yet under Meyer. As a result, Tebow should be considered the favorite to take home the Heisman once more.
