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Column: Florida’s Kyle Trask Is Unquestionably The Best QB In The SEC

Don't debate when there's no debate to be had.

Graham Marsh

© Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

We get it. The story was great. But there's more to Florida quarterback Kyle Trask than just a cool story. 

There is the best quarterback in the SEC for the upcoming 2020 season. Statistically, it is fairly obvious. But for whatever reason, people seem to have a difficult time admitting that the redshirt senior is the conference's best passer. 

He is no longer the guy who didn't start in high school. He is no longer the guy who continuously lost out to Feleipe Franks for the starting gig for the Gators. Now with Joe Burrow and Tua Tagovailoa gone from LSU and Alabama, respectively, the best passer in the nation's best conference wears orange and blue. 

As Ben Murphy of Jacksonville's local news station, First Coast News, shows in this video, Trask was undeniably better than other SEC quarterbacks in all of their respective biggest games last season. 

The reason for Murphy bringing up Texas A&M's Kellen Mond, Auburn's Bo Nix and Georgia's transfer Jamie Newman is because those are typically the other three names that slide into the "best returning SEC QB" conversation. 

Trask proved himself the best, and most reliable, out of all of these names last year. But why do people still fight the idea of Trask being the conference's best QB? 

The Numbers

It is a fair rebuttal to Murphy's video that he is only looking heavily into one game for each quarterback. And, over the course of the entire season, Trask doesn't dominate every stat over Mond, Nix and Newman on the surface. 

For example, Trask has more yards than the other three, but he leads the group with just over 2,900 yards, while Mond and Newman both reached over 2,800. Additionally, while Trask has Mond and Nix substantially beat in touchdowns with 25, Newman actually had one more at Wake Forest last year with 26. 

However, remember that Trask did not begin the year as the starter. 

He didn't play at all in the Miami game, only threw five passes in the Tennessee-Martin game and came in midway through the second half in the Kentucky game. 

So, his first full-time game as the starter wasn't until the Tennessee game, the fourth game of the season. He technically played 12 games, but was only given nine complete games. 

So, he threw for more yards than all three of those players with almost three less games to do it in. Meanwhile, he almost leads the group in touchdowns and has the second-lowest interceptions (seven) out of that group. It should also be noted that Newman has yet to face an SEC team in his career as a starting quarterback.

It's been so long

UF has not had a sure-fire candidate for the SEC's best quarterback since Tim Tebow wore orange and blue. When a team has gone that long without anyone notable, it is almost difficult to believe that the Florida quarterback position is actually back. 

But it is. And not by happenstance. 

When Tebow threw left-handed passes in The Swamp, who was his offensive coordinator? Dan Mullen. 

Now with Trask at the helm, who is his offensive coordinator? And head coach? Dan Mullen. 

Additionally remember the best quarterback in the SEC a few years back, heisman candidate Dak Prescott? His coach was Mullen as well. 

Simply put, Mullen and elite quarterback play always find each other. And they do it in college football's best conference. 

Emory Jones

A common push back against calling Trask the best in the SEC is his backup, Emory Jones. Jones gets reps every once in a while in special packages, mainly for his running ability that Trask frankly does not have. 

And if you follow our site and have ever read my stories, you know that I am a big proponent of Jones in the game. 

However, that is strictly based on the potential of Jones. As of now? Trask is the better quarterback, and that is relatively inarguable. 

And its relatively inarguable that at the current moment in time, the best quarterback in the best conference in college football wears No. 11 in orange and blue. 

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Graham Marsh
GRAHAM MARSH

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