This is the story of Kyle Trask and how he has sparked the Florida Gators’ offense
Kyle Trask’s season started just like so many before them. On the sideline. Clipboard in hand. A backup quarterback once again.
The season ends in a way that most could not have predicted.
After not starting a football game since his freshman year of high school, Trask has led the Florida Gators offense finishing off a second consecutive double-digit-win season under coach Dan Mullen.
And it’s not just by being a game-manager quarterback.
Heading into Monday’s Orange Bowl matchup between the ninth-ranked Gators (10-2) and No. 24 Virginia, Trask has completed 67.6 percent of his passes for 2,636 yards, 24 touchdowns and six interceptions. He has three games with at least 300 passing yards, something that hasn’t been done at UF since Tim Tebow in 2007.
“Kyle Trask is the story,” UF receiver Van Jefferson said. “He’s telling it right now.”
‘I got your back’
This story begins late in the third quarter of the Gators’ road game against the Kentucky Wildcats on Sept. 14.
Feleipe Franks rolled out of the pocket as he tried to avoid a pass rush on fourth and 1. As he made his way back to the line of scrimmage, Franks collided with a pair of Kentucky defenders and nearly bent over backward as he fell to the ground. His right leg was pinned under him.
Franks’ season ended in that moment.
In comes Trask, the 21-year-old redshirt junior who hadn’t played a meaningful snap since leading the freshman team at Manvel (Texas) High.
His task: Somehow find rally the Gators from an 11-point deficit with just one quarter of football to play.
His response: Four drives. Three touchdowns. A 29-21 victory.
Trask completed 9 of 13 passes for 126 yards.
His first four plays: Four completions for 54 yards. Two plays later, Lamical Perine made his way into the endzone for an 8-yard score.
Two drives later, Trask’s 4-yard run with 4:11 left capped a four-play, 66-yard drive and served as the Gators’ go-ahead touchdown.
“I just let him know, ‘I got your back,’” Trask said afterward. “It’s a next-man-up mentality. I had to do whatever it took for the team.”
The story was just beginning.
Trask was one of the Southeastern Conference’s most efficient quarterbacks of the season.
Against Tennessee in his first career start: 293 yards on 20-for-28 passing with two touchdowns and two interceptions.
Against Auburn in a top-10 home match-up: 234 yards on 19-for-31 passing with two touchdowns.
Against No. 1 LSU on the road in while matching up with eventual Heisman Trophy winner Joe Burrow: 310 yards on 23-of-39 passing with three touchdowns and one interception.
“You meet Kyle, you talk to Kyle, it’s how hard he’s worked at what he’s done,” UF co-offensive coordinator John Hevesy said. “When the opportunity came ... he took advantage of it.”
‘He trusts us. We trust him’
To understand Trask’s story, one must go through the prologue.
He was under-recruited out of high school. Not shocking considering he wasn’t playing. He had offers from small schools. Houston Baptist. McNeese State. Lamar University.
And then, on July 25, 2015, came an offer from UF under its previous coaching staff led by Jim McElwain.
“I committed the next day,” Trask said.
He spent the next three years biding his time.
But his work ethic remained resilient.
Center Nick Buchanan’s first recollection of Trask is seeing the quarterback come into UF’s residence halls around midnight.
Trask had just finished a spur-of-the-moment two-mile jog.
“All he does is come to work,” Buchanan said. “It’s amazing to see him come and leading us to victory week after week.”
He has a strong supporting cast as well.
UF has eight players with at least 20 catches and 200 receiving yards. Tight end Kyle Pitts leads the way with 51 catches and 610 yards.
“He’s not afraid to come to us and ask us what we see and tell us what he thinks we should tweak,” receiver Josh Hammond said. “He’ll get on the head set with coach Mullen right away. ... He trusts us. We trust him.”
‘No intention of leaving’
And as great as Trask’s story has been, it easily could have ended before it had the chance to be told.
With the evolution of the transfer portal comes increased opportunities for players to get a change of scenery and a chance for more playing time.
It has worked for Burrow at LSU, Justin Fields at Ohio State and Jalen Hurts at Oklahoma. Three transfer quarterbacks all in the College Football Playoff.
It worked for Jacob Eason, who finished his career at Washington after being leapfrogged at Georgia by Jake Fromm.
Transferring never crossed Trask’s mind.
“I had no intentions of leaving,” Trask said. “Obviously you’re not playing, so there’s going to be a little bit of frustration. But I just talked it over with my family and my friends. I’ve always wanted to be a Gator. Going into the season there was no reason for me to leave. I was still going to compete each and every day.”
He’ll continue to compete at Florida for one more season.
The story of Kyle Trask lives on.
