Florida Gators QB Kyle Trask Named a Heisman Trophy Finalist
Florida Gators quarterback Kyle Trask has been named a finalist for the 2020 Heisman Trophy, the 86th rendition of the award, along with Alabama quarterback Mac Jones and wide receiver Devonta Smith, and Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence.
In addition, Florida tight end Kyle Pitts came in at No. 10 in Heisman Trophy voting. He is the first tight end to make the top ten since Notre Dame's Ken McAfee (1977).
Should Trask win the award, he would be the fourth player in Gators' history to earn the prestigious honor, joining fellow quarterbacks Tim Tebow (2007), Danny Wuerffel (1996), and Steve Spurrier (1996).
Trask has compiled the greatest statistical season for a quarterback in UF history, leading Florida to its first SEC Championship appearance under head coach Dan Mullen in 2020. Completing 69.7% of his passes across Florida's 11 games, Trask set the school's single season record for passing yards with 4,125 and passing touchdowns with 43, along with an additional three rushing scores while throwing just five interceptions.
Trask leads the next highest statistically-ranked FBS quarterback in several major categories, rather substantially: By 386 passing yards, by 10 passing touchdowns, and by three total touchdowns.
Arguments have been made against Trask considering Florida's three losses. Most notably, the Gators' recent loss to Alabama in the SEC Championship - against the likes of Jones, Smith, and running back Najee Harris, a widely projected finalist - and UF's crushing loss to LSU the week before, in which Trask committed three turnovers.
However, the award was created to award college football's most outstanding player, not the best player on the best team, making those arguments irrelevant by definition of the honor.
We'll see if the panel of voters feels the same in the near future.
The 2020 Heisman Trophy will be awarded, virtually, on Jan. 5, 2021.
