Kyle Trask ends Florida career with record-setting 2020 season

Kyle Trask finishes his Florida career as the school’s sixth all-time leader in career passing touchdowns despite only starting 22 games.

Name: Kyle Trask

Number: 11

Position: Quarterback

Class: Redshirt Senior

Height: 6-foot-5

Weight: 240 pounds

Hometown: Manvel, Tex.

High School: Manvel

Twitter: @ktrask9

2020 statistics:

CMP ATT CMP% YDS AVG TD INT LNG RTG
301 437 68.9 4,283 9.8 43 8 71 180

Overview:

Kyle Trask finishes his Florida career as the school’s sixth all-time leader in career passing touchdowns despite only starting 22 games. He finished his career with arguably the best season of any quarterback in school history in 2020, setting single-season school records in passing touchdowns (43) and passing yards (4,283) despite a shortened season against SEC-only competition.

For a while, though, it appeared Trask might not get his chance. He wasn’t even expected to get an offer at Florida. A backup in high school to D’Eriq King (now the starter at Miami), Trask’s only Division I offers other than UF were Houston Baptist, Lamar and McNeese State. But former coach Jim McElwain liked what he saw when Trask camped with the Gators, and he brought him on.

Trask joined the class with top quarterback recruit Feleipe Franks, and both redshirted their first seasons in Gainesville in 2016. The following year, Trask suffered an injury before the season that held him out the entirety of 2017. Meanwhile, Franks became the starter.

After a rocky first year under center for Franks, McElwain was fired and replaced with Dan Mullen. Franks initially struggled in 2018 and was benched during a blowout loss to Missouri for Trask. But a foot injury following that game ended Trask’s season, and he finished with 162 yards and a touchdown on 14-of-22 passing.

Trask entered the 2019 season as the backup once again but was thrust into the starter role when Franks suffered a season-ending ankle injury against Kentucky in September. Trask started the next 10 games, leading the Gators to an 11-2 record and finished with 2,941 yards, 25 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Franks transferred after the season, solidifying Trask’s role as the starter heading into 2020.

He improved in almost every way his last season. He was second in the nation in yards per game with 356, and he threw for 400 yards in five games (a school record). He also threw for at least four touchdowns in seven consecutive games this season, making him just the ninth FBS player since 2000 to do so.

He was a Heisman finalist for his efforts in 2020, finishing fourth in voting behind Trevor Lawrence, Mac Jones and the winner, Devonta Smith. He enters the 2021 NFL Draft as a potential Day 2 pick.

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