How Does PFF View Gators QB Kyle Trask in New Ranking System?
For the Florida Gators, the quarterback position is likely more important this season than ever before. The offense will be run primarily with unknowns at the receiver position, and the offensive line is being constantly re-shuffled. There hasn't been a clear indication of what the 2020 Gators offense will look like, but one constant has remained - quarterback Kyle Trask.
Trask is entering his redshirt senior season and looks to provide the Gators with the same level of play or better than last season. AS a redshirt junior, Trask accounted for 237 out of 354 (66.9) completions with 2,941 yards, 25 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
Pro Football Focus has taken a look at all 130 FBS programs, ultimately coming up with a ranking system based on all of their advanced data from a play-by-play analysis of each signal-caller. In the past, Trask has been viewed quite favorably by the football analytics website, but how do they rank him now?
Trask slides in as the No. 48 ranked quarterback in all of college football. Here is what PFF and writer, Anthony Treash, had to say about the second-year starter.
Trask displayed dependable accuracy (11th in FBS in accurate pass rate beyond the line of scrimmage), which again is the top trait you want in a quarterback, but also had really poor decision-making. He had a -13 differential in big-time throws and turnover-worthy plays last year (9:22), which was tied for fourth-worst in the country. For perspective, only two other SEC quarterbacks had a negative differential, and they both sat at -1. In terms of big-time throw rate and turnover-worthy play rate, Trask ranked 116th and 110th in the FBS. He got extremely lucky on most of those turnover-worthy plays, which made his box score stats look better than he actually was.
While there is a limited sample size for Trask considering he earned his first extensive playing time last season, what really hampered the young quarterback was likely the number of near-turnovers he had. As the fourth-worst quarterback in big-play to turnover worthy plays, according to PFF, this would make sense. However, PFF did make sure to note he was ranked 11th in FBS accurate pass rate beyond the line of scrimmage, something anyone would want in a quarterback.
As for his peers, Trask would fall below seven total SEC quarterbacks, including Georgia's Jamie Newman (ranked No. 3), Texas A&M's Kellen Mond (16), Mississippi State's K.J. Costello (18), Alabama's Mac Jones (24), Ole Miss' John Rhys Plumlee (29), Tennessee's Jarrett Guarantano (36) and LSU's Myles Brennan (43).
Here is some of what PFF had to say about their No. 3 quarterback, and the best - in their eyes - quarterback in the SEC in Newman:
There might not be a more underrated player in college football than Newman, who is set to join Georgia from Wake Forest. Wake didn't cater to Newman's arm talent as much as it should have, as they instead relied heavily on his athleticism in the ground attack. Newman's mobility is a great attribute, but his arm talent is far superior. His touch downfield is arguably the best in the country, and it was instrumental in him producing the second-best deep (20-plus-yard throws) passing grade among Power 5 quarterbacks.
Time will tell where Trask ultimately ends up in terms of his overall ranking within the SEC and FBS, however, there will surely be plenty of people who disagree with this list. Regardless of stats, many will point to the wins (9) Trask led the team to when he came in as the starting quarterback from week two (game three) after an injury to starting quarterback Feleipe Franks until the Orange Bowl victory against Virginia.
For now, he will enter the season as the starter for the first time in his collegiate - and nearly high school - career, looking to prove doubters wrong and eventually earn a spot as a selection in the 2021 NFL Draft.
