Former Gators star Kyle Trask was picked 64th by the Super Bowl champion Bucs, continuing Trask’s remarkable rise from longtime backup to NFL passer and ending Florida’s decadelong quarterback drought in the NFL draft.
The 6-foot-5, 236-pound Trask was stuck behind current University of Miami star D’Eriq King at Manvel (Texas) High. Trask didn’t start, but he played well in his limited series.
Trask, an overlooked recruit, was a backup at UF, too. Instead of entering the transfer portal, he stayed in Gainesville and waited his turn.
That opportunity finally arrived in 2019 when starter Feleipe Franks suffered a season-ending ankle injury. Trask was ready.
He led the Gators to the Orange Bowl in his first year as a starter, then set a program record with 43 touchdown passes and 4,283 yards last fall. His success for the SEC East champions helped him finish fourth in Heisman Trophy voting.
Despite his statistics, Trask wasn’t in the top tier of this draft’s quarterbacks. Although he has NFL size, makes good decisions and throws with nice touch and accuracy, his passes often lacked zip. He isn’t a great runner, either (54 career yards and eight touchdowns). ESPN NFL draft analyst Mel Kiper called him “limited” as a prospect.
Trask became the first UF quarterback to be drafted since Tim Tebow went to the Broncos with the No. 25 overall pick in 2010. Since then, the Gators had two quarterbacks drafted in baseball (Franks and Jeff Driskel) and four passers drafted into the NFL after they transferred away from Gainesville (Driskel, Cam Newton, Jacoby Brissett and Will Grier).
