MIAMI — University of Florida quarterback Tim Tebow plays in Dolphin Stadium on Thursday. Could he do it on Sundays?

That's the question many football fans and NFL general managers will be asking themselves when the Florida Gators play the Oklahoma Sooners in Thursday's BCS national championship game.

Can Tebow, considered by many to be one of the greatest college football players of all time, succeed as a full-time quarterback in the NFL?

Tebow, a junior, has the body of an NFL linebacker. He runs the football like an NFL fullback. He has the athleticism of an NFL tight end. There are plenty of positions on the field that Tebow could likely play as a professional.

He wants to play only one.

"I want to be a quarterback in the NFL," Tebow said. "Whatever that takes."

It might take a lot.

Tebow is great at being Tebow, a quarterback who might best be described as Larry Csonka with an arm. But a quick glance at the current lists of NFL rosters suggests that Tebow might need to be something else — less Csonka, the bull-like Miami Dolphins fullback of the '70s, and more Sam Bradford, Oklahoma's redshirt sophomore quarterback, who fits the mold of a typical NFL pocket passer.

Bradford is projected as a first-round NFL draft pick should he choose to forgo his final two years of college ball and declare himself eligible for April's NFL Draft. Opinions vary on Tebow's draft projections because some people doubt Tebow has the physical tools to be an NFL quarterback.

"He's going to be given the opportunity, and we'll find out down the road," said former Dallas Cowboys and Oklahoma Sooners coach Barry Switzer. "People questioned (former Texas and current Tennessee Titans quarterback) Vince Young's ability. I questioned it myself, whether he had the arm to play in the NFL, make throws in the NFL. He's struggling."

While some analysts think Tebow could be a first-round selection in April, others predict Florida's quarterback would be selected in the third or fourth round and then used as a fullback, tight end or third-string quarterback.

Does it matter what round in which a player is selected? Only if he cares about the millions of dollars that come with being a first-rounder.

Tebow has said his earning power could be a deciding factor in whether he stays at Florida for his senior season or turns pro after Thursday's national championship game.

Mel Kiper Jr., who is considered an authority on the subject of NFL Draft speculation, said Tebow could be used as a part-time quarterback by a team like the Dolphins, which sometimes uses a running back at the quarterback position in the Wildcat formation.

Tebow put in extra hours over the offseason to become a better pocket passer, and the team's original offensive game plan featured fewer designed running plays for Tebow than in 2007, when he became the first player in college football history to both run and throw for at least 20 touchdowns. He had 32 touchdown passes and 23 rushing touchdowns.

The changes didn't translate well to the playing field, though. UF's offense lumbered through its first three wins, and Florida lost the next game.

Tebow "is not a pure pocket passer like Sam Bradford at Oklahoma or Matt Stafford at Georgia," Kiper said. "Can (Tebow) complete the difficult passes? Can he look down the field at a defense and find the open receiver? Is his release going to be a problem? These are the things NFL general managers think about."

Tebow did have one of the best seasons of any college player. He threw 28 touchdowns and just two interceptions, and finished third in the Heisman Trophy voting, with more first-place votes than the winner, Bradford. He also rushed for 11 touchdowns.

Jimmy Johnson, who coached both the Dolphins and the Miami Hurricanes, is sold. "The more you watch (Tebow), the more you get to believing this guy can be an NFL quarterback," he said. "If I was a general manager, I'd like to have him on my team."

Other factors suggest Tebow could succeed as a quarterback in the NFL.

Tebow's competitive nature and leadership characteristics count for something, say coaches who have spent a lifetime around the game.

"I think Tim Tebow might be the best leader and best competitor I've seen," former Notre Dame and South Carolina coach Lou Holtz said. "I don't think you can minimalize his competitiveness. I just think the guy is one of the absolute greatest that has ever played."