The Biggest Surprise of Florida's 2019 Season, Not Named Kyle Trask

What has been the biggest surprise of Florida's 2019 season not named Kyle Trask? Hint: He's still included.

Entering the year, the biggest question anyone had regarding the Florida Gators' football roster was related to their depth.

Specifically, it's lack of depth.

Across the offensive line, where there were already plenty of concerns with the starting unit, the defensive line, and secondary, Florida was top-heavy with talent, experience, or both. But behind the starters? There wasn't much to hang your hat on.

Then the first 12 weeks of Florida's season came and went. As it went on, the questions related to depth reduced dramatically, and at this point, there aren't any to be had.

Florida's offensive line is still a weak spot compared to the rest of the roster, yet depth has been just fine. Two backups to begin the season, freshmen Richard Gouraige and Ethan White, have earned starts throughout the year and have emerged as young cornerstones for the Gators moving forward.

On the defensive line, freshmen Khris Bogle and Mohamoud Diabate have emerged as twitchy, athletic pass rushers who should become consistently disruptive as they continue to develop. The duo has combined to record five sacks and 21 quarterback pressures on 146 combined pass rush snaps.

Defensive ends Jeremiah Moon and Zachary Carter have also broken out in key roles. In nine games before Moon was lost for the season with a foot injury, he tallied three sacks, 6.5 tackles for loss, two defended passes, and 20 QB pressures, serving as Florida's third edge rusher. Carter, serving in a rotation as Florida's strong-side defensive end, has compiled 3.5 sacks, 2.5 tackles for loss, and 16 pressures of his own.

Both Moon and Carter have started multiple games in place of Jonathan Greenard and Jabari Zuniga, as have both dealt with injuries throughout the year.

Entering the 2019 season with Greenard as the starting BUCK pass rusher, fresh off of a broken wrist that sidelined him for all but nine snaps at Louisville in 2018 before transferring to Florida, there was skepticism as to Florida's stability off of the edge. As the year comes to a close, the Gators can confidently say they've been four-deep at the BUCK position all season long.

And in the secondary, you'd have no clue that Florida had depth concerns just three months ago. Three true freshmen - Kaiir Elam, Jaydon Hill, and Chester Kimbrough - have all stepped up for the Gators at moments throughout the season.

Elam has already carved out a starting role at outside cornerback, and is playing at an elite level. His two interceptions are tied for third-most on the team, and he has only allowed 37.5% of his 16 targets in coverage to be caught.

While Hill and Kimbrough have yet to earn a starting role, their time will come, and both have given Florida reasons to be optimistic about their development. The two have combined to record 16 tackles and five defended passes, allowing only 50% of their 14 targets in coverage to be caught for 83 yards in total.

Elam has allowed a ridiculous 9.9 passer rating in coverage, while Hill's passer rating allowed is 68.8 and Kimbrough's is 68.2. For reference, no qualifying NFL starting quarterback this season has a rating under 76.8, according to Pro Football Reference.

It's inarguable that quarterback Kyle Trask, who began the season as a depth piece himself, has been the team's biggest surprise this season from a performance perspective. 

Cracking the starting lineup after Feleipe Franks was ruled out for the season with a dislocated ankle, no one was sure what to expect of the redshirt junior. Since, Trask has gone on to throw for 2293 yards, 21 touchdowns, and only six interceptions while completing 66.8% of his 274 throws. 

His breakout is a testament to Florida's depth being a lot better off than anyone had anticipated, and while Trask is such an easy answer as Florida's biggest surprise this season himself, his contribution to the depth argument makes it even more legitimate.