Florida football recruiting: Who is Tanner McEvoy, and why is he taking an official visit?

Florida has been thought to be done recruiting quarterbacks in the 2013 class for many months now, with Max Staver's commitment coming at the end of a string of disappointments and with few other candidates available. But with Jacoby Brissett's transfer, a spot has opened up for another quarterback — and, more importantly, the Gators really need a quarterback who has taken more than zero collegiate snaps to back up Jeff Driskel.

JUCO quarterback Tanner McEvoy could well be that guy, if his surprise official visit this weekend goes well for the Gators.

That official visit was first reported earlier this week by various sources, and it's coming after a midweek official visit to Wisconsin, Rivals' Blake Alderman reports ($). McEvoy's going to do the typical official visit stuff, and learn more from players and coaches, but, more importantly, he's going to enjoy a very mild winter weekend in Gainesville, with highs in the 60s and lows in the 40s — an especially important contrast from Wisconsin, where the high this week was a balmy 53, which lasted all of about three hours.

Florida's going to have competition for McEvoy, with Wisconsin, West Virginia, and Oregon also in pursuit of one of the nation's best junior college dual threat quarterbacks, but that weather might be a secret weapon, and Will Muschamp's apparently finagled McEvoy's final official visit despite not being on the South Carolina transfer until about the time former South Carolina coach Brad Lawing joined Florida's staff.

And McEvoy's a good mobile quarterback who would be a much better option as Driskel's injury backup than Skyler Morhinweg, Tyler Murphy, Jacob Guy, or Staver, and would have three years to play two seasons of football. It's worth getting your hopes up for McEvoy, I think, because he's a prospect who could realistically commit to Florida — and would really fill a need.