Broken foot ends Kyle Trask’s season

As his chance to start a game this season was on the horizon Kyle Trask’s season is over, according to his father.

Reports surfaced on Wednesday night that Trask was carted off the field with an injury to a lower extremity. The injury happened during a non-contact portion of Wednesday’s practice and required surgery. Trask’s father, Michael, posted on Facebook that his son had successful surgery for a fracture in his foot and he would be out for the season.

His post his below.

“Gator Nation, I am sad to say that Kyle was injured today in practice while doing a trick play where he hands off to the RB and then goes out for a pass. The throw to Kyle was low and when he planted his foot to catch the pass he felt a pop. Unfortunately he fractured his foot and will be out for the season. Just a freak injury. The good news is that it will be minor surgery and he will be 100% for spring ball in 2019. Thank you for all the well wishes and support for Kyle, we appreciate you very much! Continue to pray for Kyle’s recovery.”

Trask’s 2017 season ended with a similar injury. He sustained a broken foot during fall camp last season and was forced to sit out the entire year. With a new coaching staff this season Trask was given the opportunity to compete for the starting job but Dan Mullen went with Feleipe Franks, citing the quarterback’s athleticism as the reason he got the nod.

Trask played in the season opener (3-3, 22 yards) and against Tennessee (1-1, 14 yards) but didn’t see the field in the next four games. He replaced Franks against Missouri leading three drives. He completed 10-of-18 passes for 126 yards and a touchdown. Following the game Mullen said that Trask and Franks would compete this week in practice and he would start the quarterback he felt gave the team the best chance to win. That lasted three practices before Trask’s injury. He will finish 14-of-22 (64%) with one passing touchdown and one rushing touchdown on the season.

Now Mullen has an interesting predicament at quarterback. Franks will obviously be Florida’s starter moving forward and Emory Jones will be his backup. Mullen has held firm in his stance that the plan is to redshirt Jones. That would be easy with a healthy Trask and Franks. Jones has played in two games this season and can play in two more for the Gators without wasting his redshirt this season. However, if Franks were to get injured or even lose his helmet on a play he would have to come out who would Mullen put in to the game? Florida would like to not burn a redshirt for Jones but the injury to Trask could force Mullen’s hand. Jones is expedited to play in the bowl game because Florida will get 13 additional practices to give him more reps with the first team. That means, ideally, they would only use him in one of the last three regular season games.

The Gators also have an option in receiver Kadarius Toney, who played quarterback in high school. However, Mullen spoke frankly during his spring speaking tour when asked about Toney potentially playing quarterback. He said if Toney wants to play at this level and at the next level it’s going to be at receiver. Toney has only played receiver for the Gators this season and some wildcat quarterback. He’s not a realistic to play extended time at quarterback.