"The guys that make those decisions should answer that question (about his draft status)," Kentucky coach Rich Brooks, a former NFL head coach, said. "He's certainly capable. I think he has the talent to play other positions if needed, but he's a great quarterback."
Brooks, who lost 65-8 to Florida last season, says if Florida really does put Tebow under center more this year, it will enhance his draft status. Brooks has also heard that Tebow has worked on his passing mechanics.
But Brooks says Tebow does more than enough to play quarterback in the NFL.
"Listen, the guy completes a very high percentage of his passes. He's about as good a leader as you could ever expect at a quarterback position. He has all of the abilities and has made plays at the highest level of college football. So how can that not translate into a guy that can play in the NFL?" Brooks said.
"I know there's some people that - they pick holes in everybody. But this guy is maybe one of the best - or the best - college football player that's ever played the game."
Alabama coach Nick Saban, another former NFL head coach, got to watch Tebow pick his team apart in last year's SEC championship game that ended Alabama's national title hopes.
"I think Tim Tebow is an outstanding quarterback, an outstanding leader. I have no questions about his ability to throw the ball. He made some outstanding throws in good coverage in critical times in our game last year in the SEC championship game," Saban said. "So I have a tremendous amount of respect for him as a quarterback, as a leader, as an athlete, in every regard. I think he is a winner. I think he will be a winner in the NFL."
Evaluating college play
Saban says questions about Tebow are somewhat understandable because of the unique spread offense that Florida coach Urban Meyer uses.
"The NFL struggles to evaluate people who don't do in college what they look for guys to do in the pros. And I don't think they should be criticized for that. It's a difficult evaluation when you play a little different kind of offense," Saban said. "I think Florida has a great offense. I think it's very difficult to defend. I think they do a great job of executing it and coaching it. So I'm not being critical.
"But it is different. They have a defined prototype they would like to evaluate toward. When you play in a different type of offense, it makes it more difficult to evaluate. I don't think anybody is disrespecting him, I guess is what I'm trying to say. I think it's just a little more difficult to try to evaluate."
New Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen didn't have any trouble evaluating Tebow's talent when he was Florida's offensive coordinator.
"I wouldn't consider anything a weakness in Tim's game. I will give this to him as one of his strengths is having weaknesses. If you identify a weakness or something that he's not doing well, he wants to work as hard as he can to correct it," Mullen said. "Everyone has weaknesses in their games. Someone like Tim Tebow really understands the fact that to become a great quarterback, he has to continually hone his skills every single day and improve.
"Tim Tebow really understands that he needs to continually improve himself every single day. I don't know if there's a specific weakness in his game."
But surely there is some dirt on this all-American kid who volunteers at hospitals and to work with children along with throwing touchdown passes and running over opponents that Mullen can share now that he's not coaching Tebow?
"He's one of the most unique people in the world. I probably have more respect for him than anybody I've ever met. Just an amazing kid," Mullen said. "He taught me a very valuable lesson in life. If you can make an impact on someone's life, it's your obligation to do that."
Odds are he'll eventually teach NFL personnel a valuable lesson about not underestimating his ability, too.
If not, he can certainly give life lessons as he did when he was asked during his media session - and he was the only player to hold his interview session from the main podium just like the head coaches - when he was asked if all the attention bothered him or created jealousy among others.
"I think sometimes you would like to go to a restaurant without people trying to take pictures or reporters, go to a movie or something like that. I try to look at things from the positive. And there has been a lot of great things happen," Tebow said. "There has been a lot of people that have been encouraged not to have an abortion because they heard the story of my mom, or they have been encouraged because they have heard me give my faith.
"Any backlash is not a big deal to me because of the kids and people that have been encouraged by the stories we have tried to tell and by the life that I've tried to live."
