Gators player evaluation: Scouting QB Kyle Trask through three starts

Dissecting the positives and negatives from Kyle Trask's first three starts as the Gators' quarterback.

Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports

Quarterback Kyle Trask has stepped into the starting role for the Florida Gators quite nicely, as the redshirt junior has led the team to nothing but wins including beating Tennessee, Towson and most recently Auburn. 

We can’t forget the comeback win at Kentucky, either. Trask came in to replace the injured Feleipe Franks and lead the Gators to a come-from-behind victory in a hostile SEC environment. 

Then there was the Auburn game, where a shot from defensive lineman Marlon Davidson sent the signal-caller to the locker room. Trask was diagnosed with a slight MCL sprain, but decided he’d return to play and lead Florida to a 24-13 win. 

Trask didn’t want to lose his one starting opportunity in seven years to Emory Jones, and his return to the field left him playing under 100% strength. Yet, Trask still moved the ball all over the field against an underwhelming Auburn secondary. 

Trask has thrown for 881 yards, eight touchdowns, and only two interceptions so far this season and is averaging 9.6 yards a completion heading into LSU. There are a few things Trask needs to work on in order to take the next step as a quarterback, but I believe he will continue to take strides under the instruction of head coach Dan Mullen and QB coach Brian Johnson.

Pocket presence

This is my No. 1 criticism of Kyle Trask as a QB - he is a statue in the pocket even when it has folded. 

Trask is clearly a pocket passer, but he lacks that awareness to step away from pressure as it collapses the pocket. That has led to five strip-sack fumbles over Trask's first three starts.

I’d contribute this issue to lack of experience, as he rarely saw valuable game reps in high school and for most of his college career. I’d like to see more movement in the pocket from Trask, whether that be stepping up into throws or adjusting to pressure coming off of the edge from the pass rush. 

The elite Auburn defensive line caused three fumbles due to Trask’s lack of pocket awareness, and it doesn’t help that Trask is behind an inexperienced offensive line. Don’t get me wrong, Trask has been far better than I predicted he’d be coming off of the bench, but it’s the little things that separate good and great. As Trask continues to grow as a starting quarterback, he should develop this part of his game - and there is no more difficult way to learn then when Derrick Brown and Marlon Davidson hitting you all game long. 

Thankfully, this is a teachable issue, as we saw development from this similar concern in Feleipe Franks under Mullen and Johnson. Within a few weeks, I expect Trask to improve with feeling pressure from behind him, especially off the edge. Luckily, Trask won’t be facing a defensive line as elite as Auburn’s anytime soon, unless Auburn somehow makes a run to Atlanta.

Decision making

Trask was excellent with his decision making in the Kentucky game, but ever since he's taken the starting role and had a gameplan molded to his strengths, he has been more hesitant when throwing the ball. 

Against Kentucky, Trask was slinging it around with little thought, as he was going through his progressions and getting the ball out quick in a gameplan more suited to Franks' style of play. 

Now Trask is tasked with reading the defense instead of just going through his progressions, and has looked more tentative when getting the ball out. He could be second-guessing his throws, as I’m sure Mullen and Johnson went over those two interceptions from the Tennessee game with him. Franks’ decision making was the biggest thing holding him back as a QB, whereas Trask is better at knowing where he wants to go with the ball.

The positives? Trask isn't turning the ball over through the air. However, there is going to come a time when Trask will need to get out of his comfort zone to try to stretch the field.

Run game

I’m not sure why Dan Mullen insists on running Trask, as he is nowhere near as agile and elusive as Feleipe Franks and doesn’t hold a candle to Emory Jones in the run game. Trask took some unnecessary hits late in the Auburn game he shouldn’t have taken, especially on a busted knee. 

I’d like to see Jones get more touches with some run-pass options moving forward, especially this weekend against LSU. I understand Mullen wants to keep the defense guessing, but running one of your only two scholarship quarterbacks remaining on the roster is a bold strategy that should not become commonplace - especially one who has suffered lower-body injuries and isn't overly mobile in the first place.

Overall

Kyle Trask has Florida's offense bustling and has helped the Gators average 284 passing yards so far this season. Trask is efficient and accurate, with a completion percentage of 72.2% through the five games he has appeared in. He doesn’t force anything, and he does well getting rid of the ball when nothing is there. 

However, Kyle Trask must work on his pocket awareness and holding onto the ball, and can stand to take a shot downfield now and again. 

I’d still like Dan Mullen to insert Jones into the game a bit more, and I believe Jones will play more reps moving forward as the biggest games are being played in the next few weeks. But Trask has been as great of a game manager as anyone could have asked for since Franks was lost for the 2019 season.