Florida State’s Jordan Travis Ranks Among the Nation's Best in Passing

Two months ago, almost to the day, ESPN analyst Roddy Jones took to the “In Play” segment on the ACC network and delivered the following statement on Florida State quarterback Jordan Travis: “There is a legitimate conversation that he is a top-five quarterback in this league.” The statement caused an uproar on the internet as fans went back and forth debating whether Travis had shown enough in 2 games to warrant such praise. At the time, the numbers were in his favor, showcasing a quarterback that was ranked fifth among P5 quarterbacks with a PFF overall grade of 91.1 and the 15th-best QBR in the nation at 84.6.

There was no denying that Travis had vastly improved year to date, but the majority of experts agreed that it just wasn’t enough to hold him in the same regard as those considered to be “elite” quarterbacks in the game, such as 2021 Heisman winner Bryce Young. Long story short, the jury was out on the Jordan Travis debate; the decision was pushed further down the road. In an excerpt from an article covering this debate in mid-September, I delivered the following conclusion: “If he can continue this high level of play, there is a legitimate conversation to be had, indeed.”

Since the publishing of that article and Mr. Jones’s statement, the Florida State Seminoles played 7 games, wherein they have achieved a record of 4-3. In those seven games, Jordan Travis has set a career-high for passing yards in a game (396), tied his career high of 3 touchdown passes in a game in three of them (Wake Forest, Georgia Tech, Miami), and posted a QBR over 90 in three of those games as well (Boston College, Georgia Tech, Miami). Of course, some of that praise was diminished following his performances in FSU’s three losses, which account for his worst three games on the season, according to QBR.

Travis’ lowest performance came in an abysmal loss against NC State where the quarterback threw for 181 yards, 1 touchdown, and 2 interceptions on a 50% completion rate resulting in a season-low QBR of 62.6. Throughout their three-game skid, the Seminoles struggled to find consistency on offense, and the inconsistencies of Jordan Travis were a primary factor. Despite righting the ship since Travis has not received the same level of national praise but should he?

On November 9th, PFF posted a tweet showcasing the top three quarterbacks with the highest passing grades in the nation, among all power 5 QBs: #1 Drake Maye (91.8), #2 Jordan Travis (90.2), and #3 Bryce Young (90.1).

Top passers in the country this season⭐️ pic.twitter.com/LLmgruOxgy
— PFF College (@PFF_College) November 9, 2022

That’s right, Florida State’s own Jordan Travis currently holds the second-best PFF passing grade in the nation among all Power 5 quarterbacks. That’s second only to UNC quarterback Drake Maye, who already receives national praise and Heisman consideration as a freshman, and that’s ahead of Alabama quarterback Bryce Young, who won the Heisman trophy a year ago and stands to be a high draft pick at the next level. The post was a shock to many who had already discounted Travis following the less-than-stellar play showcased against Wake Forest, NC State, and Clemson. However, the numbers would have you believe that this isn’t as surprising.

For reference, let’s take a look at where UNC quarterback Drake Maye’s and Alabama quarterback Bryce Young’s statistics stand relative to the nation. Maye’s 2,964 passing yards are currently the 5th best in the nation; his 31 passing touchdowns are currently the best in the nation, and his 89.5 QBR is currently the 3rd best in the nation. Young’s 2,234 passing yards are 33rd best in the nation; his 19 passing touchdowns are 24th in the nation, and his 83.7 QBR is 11th best in the nation.

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Jordan Travis is well on par with these two gentlemen. Travis’ 2,259 passing yards come in at 32nd best; his 17 passing touchdowns rank as 33rd best; and his 83.7 QBR is the 10th best QBR in the nation. The turnaround since the lows of NC State has been nothing short of a complete 180. Now with each broadcast, commentators continue to highlight the strides Travis has made as a quarterback, specifically as a passer. In his most recent contest against Miami, he attempted a total of 12 passes in the contest, connecting on 10 of them (83.3% completion rate) for 202 yards, 3 touchdowns, and just 1 interception. The performance netted him a QBR of 98.9.

While the national conversation has died down quite a bit for the Florida State quarterback, Jordan Travis remains surefire talent at the position. Time will tell if the Davey O'Brien Class of 2022 quarterback can break through and become one of the nation's most elite. Until then, Florida State fans can count their lucky stars that their starting quarterback continues to keep up with the nation’s most proficient at the position week to week.

Stick with NoleGameday for more coverage of Florida State football throughout the season.

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