The Florida Gators held their first scrimmage of the spring on Friday afternoon in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. It rained all day in Gainesville and didn’t let up when the team took the field. Despite the less than ideal conditions the scrimmage went on as planned.
“The rainy circumstances. That’s what you come out here and do,” Feleipe Franks said. “Coach Mullen put us in these kind of situations. It definitely raining on a Saturday this season. Just keep on pushing, that’s all we really can do.”
With a new coach and a new system, the first half of spring camp has been devoted to installing the base packages on both sides of the ball. The lightning rods at quarterback have been Feleipe Franks — for better or for worse — and blue chip early enrollee Emory Jones.
The best quarterback on the field Friday was Kyle Trask. Unofficially the media had Trask completing 12-of-18 pass attempts for 186 yards, 3 touchdowns and one interception. Trask was confident, poised and accurate — the only quarterback to show the latter.
“I think I came out here with the mind-set of just stay locked in and focus on time and try to execute at a high level,” he said.
“From the past injuries, I’m just trying to make it a big part of my routine to get in the training room, just stay healthy. Also make sure I get the plays down. New playbook, new system, new coach, everything. Just come in every day and have a good routine, make sure I’ve got everything down.”
The one interception came when he stared down a receiver too long and Chauncey Gardner-Johnson was able to step up and in front of it for an interception. Other than that Trask commanded the offense. He went through progressions, looked off defensive backs and moved the offense.
Trask has been through a lot in a short time at Florida. His freshman season was always going to be a redshirt year but he enrolled early at Florida anyway. His redshirt freshman season started with a quarterback competition. He sustained a knee injury during camp but played through it and held off getting surgery until after the spring game. He worked towards being named the starter in 2017 but suffered a foot injury the Thursday before the Michigan game and needed surgery. Just like that his season was done.
The coaching change and move to the spread has actually helped Trask. He played in a spread system at Manvel High School in Texas prior to coming to Florida and at 6-4 and 230 pounds, he smiled when asked if he thinks he could run the ball as Mullen has asked quarterbacks to do in the pact.
“I’m confident in my running ability,” he said. “Lower the shoulder, do what you’ve got to do to get the yardage.”
This was just one scrimmage. There are more than 155 days until the Gators host Charleston Southern but Kyle Trask announced himself Friday. This isn’t the Franks incumbent starter show or the freshman’s job to lose. Kyle Trask is here to stay and ready to start.
Been waiting for this a while. Not as much as him though. Go Gators.
You’re the man Trask! keep up the film study and hard work. Gator Nation needs you! That was an eye-opener to hear he played in a spread system in H.S.