GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The pilot of Florida’s offense is precise and demanding. In one of the first drills Gators offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner conducted on the opening day of spring camp, he barked for the quarterbacks to keep the ball off the ground and the receivers to keep their hands high.

He sounded like a coach you don’t want to disappoint. Faulkner shouted orders, scribbled notes, and blew his whistle to demand attention.

He has much to teach this spring.

“We really pride ourselves on trying to be the most versatile offense in the country,” he said.

Ask Faulkner to label his system, and he said the best way to describe it is as a “pro-style hybrid offense.”

If you ask Google AI to explain Faulkner’s yard-chewing machine, the response is “an explosive, high-scoring system that utilizes diverse personnel, heavy motions, and spread formations to create chunk plays and exploit defensive weaknesses.”

Whether you prefer Faulkner’s conciseness or Google’s verbosity, his offensive philosophy is rooted in the Air Raid that hit the mainstream thanks to former Kentucky coach Hal Mumme and popularized by the late Mike Leach, who installed it at Valdosta State in the mid-1990s, a few years before Faulkner played quarterback for the Blazers in the early 2000s.

When Jon Sumrall was hired in early December to replace Billy Napier, one of his first moves was to hire Faulkner – FootballScoop.com‘s National Offensive Coordinator of the Year last season at Georgia Tech – to reboot Florida’s offense. Georgia Tech finished 9-3 and averaged 466.3 yards (13th among FBS programs), 33.1 points (23rd) and 7.09 yards per play (tied for seventh). He takes over a UF offense that averaged 21.6 points (108th), 341.3 yards (103rd) and 5.41 yards per play (89th).

What Florida’s offense will look like under Faulkner is a question without an answer for now, with the season opener against Florida Atlantic still six months away. The immediate task is to determine the starting quarterback, with Georgia Tech transfer Aaron Philo and sophomore Tramell Jones Jr. taking the bulk of the snaps, and implement the terminology and playbook that helped Faulkner climb the coaching ladder.

The canvas is blank, and Faulkner has a brush in his hands and fresh paint.

“The biggest thing we want to come out of spring ball is we want to have an identity. We want to be able to be the toughest, most physical football team on Saturday afternoons,” he said Thursday. “That’s how football’s won. We’re going to be able to throw and catch at a high level, and we’re gonna be able to run the football when everybody knows in the stadium we’re gonna run it.

“So those are big things, but number one would be having an identity and kind of be able to shape this thing where we want it to go this summer.”

The quarterback competition is a primary focus, of course, with Florida’s roster having only 187 career passing attempts: Philo (102), redshirt junior Aidan Warner (50) and Jones (37). True freshman Will Griffin and redshirt sophomore Aaron Williams fill out the quarterback room.

What does Faulkner want to see during the competition?

“Being able to lead the team down the field and score points. That’s what it’s all about, right?” he said. “We’re a long way from that. But it’s just like every other position. Everybody wants to talk about the quarterback, and I get it. Like, you’re not going to get a different answer from me between now and, really, probably for a couple of weeks outside the first game.”

Faulkner sounds confident in the tools he has to work with, having tutored Yellow Jackets star Haynes King for the past three seasons in Atlanta.

“I like the command that really all of them have right now after two days of being in the offense and having a chance to go out there and practice and compete, and actually get the chance to do it against somebody else other than a walkthrough,” Faulkner said. “Really excited where they’re at and their development.”

Faulkner hasn’t been at UF long, but he’s seen enough to know that sophomore receiver Vernell Brown III is a dynamic piece of the offensive puzzle. Brown earned All-Southeastern Conference Freshman Team honors last season by catching a team-high 40 passes for 512 yards. Brown also serves as a dangerous punt returner.

Brown’s leadership sets the tone for a group that includes Auburn transfer Eric Singleton Jr., who started his career at Georgia Tech, and sophomore Dallas Wilson as the leading candidates to start. The receivers corps is deep and also includes Georgia Tech transfer Bailey Stockton, Wake Forest transfer Micah Mays Jr., returnees TJ Abrams and Kahleil Jackson, and Oklahoma State transfer Jalen Lloyd.

“He’s a natural-born leader,” Faulkner said. “He’s not afraid to step out front. He knows the offense right now, probably as good as any of the new coaches. So, he’s a joy to be around, and I like the fact that he puts in the work. He’s truly about it. And when you get a bunch of guys like that doing that, you’ve got a chance.”

Brown quickly connected with Faulkner, spending hours at the Heavener Center studying the new offense long before spring camp opened Tuesday.

“Faulkner’s a great OC,” Brown said. “I mean, if you look at his history, it works. I’m just learning that, learning the game from him and learning how he sees things and can help me kind of work in the system.”

As Faulkner searches for answers and players to emerge, he has built a support staff to help speed up the process. Quarterbacks coach Joe Craddock and analysts A.J. Erdely and Steve Spurrier Jr. are helping ensure the quarterbacks are “developed and coached at all times. It’s the most important position in football. We’re gonna do a great job developing that position,” Faulkner said.

Soon after practice on Thursday, Faulkner went back to work. There was a practice film to watch and evaluate.

The questions will answer themselves over time.

“It’s an NFL-terminology-based offense,” he said. “Our job is not only to win football games, but it’s also to develop these kids and be ready to play at the next level. We want them to be able to be comfortable with the terminology. And then we’ll dumb it down and make sure they know exactly what we’re trying to do.”