Projecting the Gators 2020 Spring Quarterback Depth Chart
The Florida Gators won the 2019 Orange Bowl just over a month ago, and yet, spring football is just around the corner.
For Florida, spring camp could end up being even more electric than last year.
Sure, both squads will have been fresh off of New Year's Six Bowl victories, with the 2019 spring camp buzzing after a positive first year under head coach Dan Mullen. But in 2020, Mullen and his staff will begin to truly flip the roster from mainly fielding Jim McElwain's recruits into a roster of their own.
Spring camp will give Gator fans and media the first glimpse of what that roster will look like.
One position that's stuck between the roster of the old era, and the roster of the new, is the quarterback position. And in this case, that's a great problem to have.
With that being said, let's take a look at the Gators' 2020 quarterback room, and project what the spring depth chart will look like.
1. Kyle Trask OR Emory Jones
Just as it's been since Feleipe Franks went down with a dislocated ankle in Week 3 of the 2019 season, it's hard not to expect the "or" at QB1 on the Gators' spring depth chart.
Rising redshirt senior Kyle Trask was the undisputed starter over Jones, simply because he took every opening snap from Week 4 on, and outplayed rising redshirt sophomore Emory Jones throughout the year. Trask logged 624 offensive snaps to Jones' 130, a 4.8 to 1 ratio.
Trask exceeded expectations as a former two-star quarterback, who - if you didn't know - hadn't started a game since his freshman year of high school. With great short-to-intermediate accuracy and chemistry with his receivers, Trask created a pass-happy offense in Gainesville in lieu of an absent run game.
In 2019, Trask completed 66.9% of his 354 passes for 2941 yards, throwing 25 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
Given his poise and timing, Florida's scheme adjusted to Trask's strengths, as he is great at making anticipatory throws into the middle of the field and on short throws outside the numbers.
That adjustment allowed Florida's receiving corps to generate 1607 yards after the catch since Trask took over as the team's starter, which equated to 52.9% of the team's passing yardage from that point on (including Jones and tight end Lucas Krull's pass completions through the end of the year).
Editor's note: There isn't a split between each quarterback's yard's after catch per attempt, but as Trask posted 2775 passing yards during the time frame to Jones' 265, so the stat naturally is based on Trask's production. This was not previously noted in the original version of the article.
There's a lot of room to create rhythm within a Trask-led offense. He's a perfect "game-manager" at quarterback, and with the talent that Florida can put around Trask in the offense, quarterbacks like Trask can do well. What will be telling is how Trask handles losing five key pass-catchers due to graduation that combined for 179 receptions, 2133 yards, and 21 touchdowns last season.
Though, Jones offered a different element on the field than Trask with his ability to run, and though he didn't get to show it often, Jones proved he can move the ball with his arm as well across 38 attempts.
Jones completed 65.8% of his passes for 267 yards and three touchdowns in 2019, and added 256 yards and four touchdowns on 42 rushing attempts (6.1 yards per carry) as well. He finished the year as Florida's third-leading rusher, despite seeing the field on only 14.3% of Florida's offensive plays.
Mullen flipped Jones to Florida from Ohio State less than a month after taking on head coaching duties, as his prized first quarterback signing. Should Feleipe Franks have not been injured in 2019, and instead built upon a successful 2018 campaign and declared for the 2020 NFL Draft, Jones would probably enter spring camp as the projected starter.
(Remember, in that reality, Trask has still yet to have started a game since playing on the freshman team at Manvel High School).
It will be interesting to see how this situation plays out. Trask has done more than enough to earn the job, but Mullen will open the position up for competition between the two (and Anthony Richardson, but more on that later). Even last year, though Franks clearly had a grip of QB1 status, Mullen rejected calling him the starter until he oversaw competition in camp.
Jones is committed to winning the job, telling AllGators that he's ready for the role following the Gators' Orange Bowl victory in Miami. Jones has been training with Houston Texans and two-time Pro Bowl quarterback Deshaun Watson since the offseason started.
If Jones displays enough growth as a passer to earn the starting role, Mullen will be left with a tough choice. It can't be forgotten what Trask accomplished in 2019, and he currently has the momentum to start. But, Jones deserves his fair chance to compete as well.
Hence, the "or".
3. Anthony Richardson
Given QB1 status is filled by two quarterbacks, Richardson naturally slides to No. 3, not No. 2, on the depth chart.
Richardson will participate in spring camp after enrolling in January. A four-star, considered the nation's No. 9 dual-threat QB in the 2020 signing class by the 247Sports Composite, Richardson has a cannon for an arm and impressive mobility for his size.
In six games for Eastside High School during his senior year, missing the end of the season with a shoulder injury, Richardson completed 64.5% of his 124 passes (a huge improvement from 48.6% in 2018) for 1398 yards, eight touchdowns, and only one interception. He also added 151 yards and seven touchdowns on 33 rushing attempts.
The 6-4, 233 lb. gunslinger even practiced with the team in Gainesville prior to the Orange Bowl, acting as the scout team quarterback while Florida prepared to face Virginia's dual-threat QB Bryce Perkins.
These types of reps are invaluable for an incoming freshman quarterback, and it was smart of Mullen to utilize that resource in order to prepare for the bowl game. Though, barring a spectacular camp, it's hard to see those reps putting Richardson in position to compete to start year one.
Considering what is ahead of Richardson at the position in Trask and Jones, Mullen is likely to ease Richardson into the offense rather than overload him. Perhaps, if he picks things up quickly, Richardson could see snaps on occasion in 2020, but it would be in Florida and Richardson's best interest to redshirt the season.
Remember, Trask is entering his final year of eligibility, while Jones has three left.
Final Thoughts
The Gators are loaded with talent at the quarterback position for the first time in a long time, thanks to Mullen's investment in the position and grooming of the players he inherited.
That's a great problem to have and it opens up the competition, which Mullen prides himself on encouraging. Spring camp will be open for Jones (or Richardson) to snatch QB1 status from Trask if they're ready to, and last season's depth chart acknowledges that Mullen understands the threat that Jones can provide the offense with.
For now, it's safe to assume Trask will still see the majority of snaps for Florida's offense. Jones should certainly see an uptick, and it will be interesting to see his utilization and how his arm has developed in spring camp. But Trask has certainly done enough to earn the job to this point.
