Former Florida Gators starting quarterback Kyle Trask took the long road to building his brand as an NFL-caliber passer, playing three games in his first three years with the program.
He redshirted the 2016 season, missed 2017 with a foot injury, and garnered the opportunity to throw a whole 22 passes in his ’18 redshirt sophomore campaign.
In 2019, Trask threw 354 passes after an injury thrust him into the lineup. He showed flashes of NFL potential, winning eight of 10 starts. His leap in 2020 was nothing short of impressive, improving dramatically in every imaginable category.
Height: 6-foot-5 1/4
Weight: 236 pounds
40 time: 5.11 seconds
Trask earned second-team All-SEC honors for his final year with the Gators, snagging finalist recognition for the Davey O’Brien Award (nation’s best QB) and the Heisman Trophy.
Table: Kyle Trask NCAA stats (2018-20)
|
Year
|
School
|
Class
|
Gm*
|
Passing
|
Rushing
|
|||||||||
|
Cmp
|
Att
|
Pct
|
Yds
|
AY/A
|
TD
|
Int
|
Att
|
Yds
|
Avg
|
TD
|
||||
|
2018
|
Florida
|
SO
|
3
|
14
|
22
|
63.6
|
162
|
8.3
|
1
|
0
|
5
|
-4
|
-0.8
|
1
|
|
2019
|
Florida
|
JR
|
12
|
237
|
354
|
66.9
|
2,941
|
8.8
|
25
|
7
|
63
|
8
|
0.1
|
4
|
|
2020
|
Florida
|
SR
|
12
|
301
|
437
|
68.9
|
4,283
|
10.9
|
43
|
8
|
64
|
50
|
0.8
|
3
|
|
Career
|
552
|
813
|
67.9
|
7,386
|
10.0
|
69
|
15
|
132
|
54
|
0.4
|
8
|
|||
*includes postseason/bowl games
The growth from 2019 to last year should be the most important area of focus for pro scouts. He still has much to improve about his mechanics and decision-making traits, but this is a large-framed, big-armed quarterback who has proven he is capable of putting in the work to take his game to the next level.
Pros
- NFL-worthy arm strength and accuracy — the later is arguably his best attribute — demonstrates consistently the ability to know when to add zip or put touch on it at all levels of the route tree
- Sturdily built to withstand the punishment of the NFL
- Has taken a long, hard path to get where he is, which is bound to build resolve and character — highly respected among teammates and coaches
- Experienced playing from a spread system and also taking some snaps from under center
- Does a good job of surveying the field and moving to his next read
- Plenty of good mixed with bad tape, especially vs. tough opponents — see 2019 LSU film to find Trask manipulating defenders with his eyes, moving through his reads, and locating the open receiver
- Intelligent football mind with proven capacity to take on more as he progresses
- Consistently productive as a senior — only player over the past 15 years to throw three or more touchdowns in nine straight contests
- Has a noticeable sense of feeling pressure in the pocket and tends to do the right thing — about all one can ask for at this stage of his on-field development
- Considerable upside after barely playing in college and high school
- Played well in big games
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Cons
- Can get sloppy with his decisions — too many throws into tight windows that could get him trouble in the NFL
- Timing and anticipatory skills are a tick on the slow side
- Lacks the ability to escape the pocket and will be system-limited because of it — not a total statue, but not too far off, either
- Isn’t likely to put a team on his back and carry it for lengthy stretches — will require all three: a sound offensive line, a tailored playbook, and a sound running game for sustained success
- Needs to become more adept at recognizing presnap blitzing linebackers — one particular interception vs. LSU in 2019 stands out as a microcosm of his woes in this department
- A breakdown in a play design isn’t likely to be favorable for his offense — some quarterbacks are tremendous at ad-libbing, and Trask isn’t one of them
- Inconsistent footwork — looks like a grizzled NFL veteran some plays and a total project other dropbacks. There was no heel clicking or shuffling, just wasted steps and delayed rotation to drive the ball … yet, it has worked for him thus far. NFL coaches will want to emphasis cleaning up his mechanics
Fantasy football outlook
He wasn’t highly recruited, and it took a meandering, character-building route, but Trask should be all the better for it. There’s no question he is a developmental prospect entering the NFL, and his drafting team will require patience to put him in the best position to success long term. If not, we’re probably looking at a career backup whose pro career could effectively be over before it gets a chance to take off.
Trask probably comes off of the board somewhere on Day 2, likely in Round 3. He may be forced to sit multiple years, if all goes according to plan. There will be a learning curve with better reading defenses that Trask must conquer to stand a chance of being a fantasy-relevant quarterback for more than a few matchups a year.
In 2021 drafts, he has no fantasy value. Gamers in full-retention keeper formats should think of him as a taxi squad player, where possible. Trask’s long-range outlook is something of a fairly safe QB2 in fantasy with the outside shot of developing into a glorified game manager. His ceiling probably is any of the better Philip Rivers season-long stat lines, and fake gamers should consider a Kirk Cousins-like career as a win.