Kyle Trask’s Gators career is officially over. Florida’s star quarterback announced Thursday that he would not use his extra year of eligibility, instead opting to enter the NFL draft.
Thursday’s news was not a surprise. Coach Dan Mullen has repeatedly suggested that Trask would not return for his bonus sixth year of eligibility, even as Trask said he would wait until after the Cotton Bowl to make his decision.
But Trask’s announcement does end one of the most remarkable careers in Florida college football history. He was a backup quarterback in high school, stuck at Texas’ Manvel High behind future Houston and Miami star D’Eriq King.
Trask arrived at UF in 2016 as almost an afterthought — a low three-star recruit who wasn’t even the top quarterback prospect in the Gators’ recruiting class. He spent three-plus years on the bench and watched four different quarterbacks (including three transfers) start in front of him. Season-ending injuries in 2017 and 2018 derailed his career, too.
Instead of entering the transfer portal, Trask stuck around, waiting for an opportunity that might not ever come.
It finally did at Kentucky in 2019, when starter Feleipe Franks sustained a season-ending ankle injury. Trask was ready. He led UF on a double-digit comeback at Kroger Field and earned a 29-21 triumph in the first meaningful action of his career.
The 6-foot-5, 240-pound Trask starred from there, leading UF to a top-seven finish and a win over Virginia in the Orange Bowl that capped off his first year as a starter.
He was even better in 2020. Trask became the first 4,000-yard passer in Gators history and broke Danny Wuerffel’s single-season record with 43 passing touchdowns. He’s one of four finalists for the Heisman Trophy, which will be awarded Tuesday night.
“I couldn’t be prouder of him and the season that he had with our team this year,” Mullen said Wednesday night after the Cotton Bowl. “A special, special year for him.”
Trask is projected as an early-round pick, potentially even a first-round selection.
“It’s been a crazy journey here ...” Trask said immediately after the final game of his UF career. “It’s just been a wild ride, and I’ve enjoyed every second of it.”
Trask was not the only Gator to declare for the draft Thursday. Defensive lineman Kyree Campbell, who statistically had his best seasons for the Gators in 2018 (37 tackles) and 2019 (39 tackles), opted out of another season at UF.
