By BJ Bennett
SouthernPigskin.com

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Kyle Trask can take notes while also taking his time.

Florida quarterback Kyle Trask is a really good quarterback in a really good spot. Without the attention of the five signal callers taken in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft, he will make a less frenzied transition to the next level, a move which may come with more stability down the line. Picked by defending Super Bowl Champion Tampa Bay, Trask will begin his pro career without the pressure of immediate expectations and with the incredible opportunity to learn from the game’s GOAT Tom Brady.

Trask can take notes while also taking his time.

Throughout his career, Trask has made the most of his opportunities, even when they haven’t necessarily included playing time. He was a reserve to current Miami quarterback D’Eriq King at Manvel High School in Texas, yet still signed with Florida. Trask was long the number two after Feleipe Franks at Florida; when an unfortunate injury resulted in Trask stepping into the lineup for the Gators, he responded. Despite modest outside expectations, Trask developed into one of the premier quarterbacks in all of college football.

This past season, for Trask, was one for the record books.

As a Heisman Trophy finalist, he led the nation in touchdown passes and finished the regular season leading the nation in passing, ending the year in second by one-tenth of a yard. Even with a disappointing performance in the Cotton Bowl, Trask still compiled a quarterback rating of 180.02, one of just 13 Power Five quarterbacks the past 20 years to reach that minimum; ten of the others were first round picks, with seven of them selected in the top five and five going number one overall.

Though Trask played in only a dozen games in 2020, he became of just four SEC quarterbacks ever with at least 43 touchdown passes in a season, joining Joe Burrow, Drew Lock and Tua Tagovailoa, all of whom were starting signal callers in the NFL a year ago. Clearly, Trask has that potential. He certainly could have been a first round pick, and may have been one in other years, instead going 64th overall at the end of the second round to the Buccaneers. At 6’5” with historic success in the SEC on his resume, Trask remains a top prospect.

Trask’s second-worst game, per passer rating, last season came with him throwing for 474 yards at 10.1 yards per attempt against then-defending national champion LSU. He completed 72% of his attempts with four touchdowns and zero interceptions at Texas A&M, went for 474 yards and four more scores in a win over rival Georgia and, facing off against Mac Jones, threw for 408 yards and three touchdowns in helping Florida to 46 points against Alabama in the SEC Championship Game.

Against SEC competition, Trask had five 400-yard games and nine outings with at least four total scores.

In Tampa, Trask will have the opportunity of a lifetime in watching and working with Brady. The seven-time Super Bowl Champion has a legacy and a resume beyond compare. Trask will have the chance to compete to, one day, be the heir-apparent to the 43-year old superstar. For now, he will work for the number two job, which is an important one on every NFL team and a showcase one, given who the starter is, with the ‘Bucs. The upcoming pre-season will be critical for Trask, just like the other rookie quarterbacks, though maybe in a different way.

Other rookie quarterbacks will obviously be talked about more and many will get playing time right away. Trask, moving just a couple of hours south, however, is in a great situation. Learning from the best, expect him to be ready when called upon once again.