Gators quarterback Kyle Trask heads into his final season as a cover boy on the preseason football magazines. (Photo: Elyse Knapp/UAA Communications)
Carter's Corner: What Those Preseason Magazines Say About Gators
Thursday, June 11, 2020 | Football, Scott Carter
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – In our quest for normalcy in these uncertain times, the folks at Street & Smith's, Lindy's Sports and Athlon Sports deserve a high-five. Of course, they might prefer you wear gloves for the time being.
You see, as we continue to adjust to new ways of life during the coronavirus pandemic, some standard practices remain discombobulated. Thankfully, a summer trip to the magazine stand in the local bookstore or grocery store is not one of them.
Those preseason magazines that arrive each year around this time have shown up as usual to get us thinking more about college football. For Gators fans, don't be startled to see quarterback Kyle Trask running or throwing your way as you push the cart down the aisle.
In the span of a year, Trask has gone from career backup to arguably the Southeastern Conference's most-hyped quarterback entering the 2020 season. He is on the cover of all three magazines shipped to the Florida region coming off a breakout season that saw him replaced injured starter Feleipe Franks and lead the Gators to a 11-2 record and Orange Bowl victory over Virginia.
As we've done before in this space, here are some tidbits from each magazine that might be a conversation starter at the next backyard cookout with your Orange & Blue friends or Notre Dame neighbor:
LINDY'S SPORTS
TOP 10: 1. Ohio State; 2. Clemson; 3. Alabama; 4. Oklahoma; 5. Florida; 6. Penn State; 7. Georgia; 8. LSU; 9. Oregon; 10. Notre Dame.
CFB CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: Ohio State vs. Clemson
GATORS NUGGETS: Projects Florida to face Notre Dame in the Peach Bowl on Jan. 1 in Atlanta … Ranks the Florida-Georgia game on Oct. 31 in Jacksonville as the fifth-best conference game of the season nationally … Ranks DL Garvin Dexter No. 8 on its list of 10 impact freshmen across the country … Has former Gators QB Tim Tebow's Heisman Trophy-winning season of 2007 ranked second behind the 2019 season of LSU QB Joe Burrow on its list of the best Heisman seasons of the last 20 years … Considers the Florida-Georgia rivalry as the seventh-best rivalry in the country entering the 2020 season. Ranks Army-Navy No. 1, and Auburn-Alabama No. 1B … The Florida-Florida State rivalry checks in at No. 14 … Former Gators coach Will Muschamp, entering his fifth season at South Carolina, is on the sixth-hottest coaching seat according to Lindy's; USC's Clay Helton sits on the hottest … Trask's former high school teammate, D'Eriq King, is ranked as the top overall transfer QB, going from Houston to Miami; Franks is ranked the sixth-best transfer QB in the country and is now at Arkansas … Gators junior TE Kyle Pitts is a second-team pick on Lindy's All-America Team; Penn State junior TE Pat Freiermuth is the first-team selection … Trask is ranked the No. 14 overall QB in the country with Ohio State's Justin Fields the No. 1 selection … Gators sophomore Kaiir Elam is ranked the ninth overall CB in the country by Lindy's and Florida's secondary is fourth overall.
NOTABLE NUMBER: 156.09 – Trask's passing efficiency rating last season, the best for a UF quarterback since Tebow (164.2) led the nation in 2009.
FINAL WORDS: A win over Georgia is imperative. The Gators have lost three in a row (and six of nine) in the series. Loftier expectations will have to wait until the cocktails are consumed in Jacksonville on Halloween. With Georgia re-tooling, Florida has to grab hold of the East. At which time the sky becomes the limit.
ATHLON SPORTS
TOP 10: 1. Clemson; 2. Alabama; 3. Ohio State; 4. Oklahoma; 5. Penn State; 6. Florida; 7. Georgia; 8. LSU; 9. Notre Dame; 10. Oregon.
CFB CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: Alabama vs. Clemson
GATORS NUGGETS: Projects Florida to face North Carolina in the Orange Bowl in Miami … Lists Pitts as the third-team TE on its All-America Team … Ranks Trask and Emory Jones as the 12th-best quarterback unit in the country … Other position group rankings for the Gators: receivers (10th), defensive line (ninth), defensive backs (sixth) … Trask is among the "10 more to watch" group of players in the Heisman race after the top 10 players, led by Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence … Elam is among the 15 players across the country primed for a breakout season according to Athlon … In its ranking of SEC head coaches, Florida's Dan Mullen is No. 2 behind Alabama's Nick Saban. "Mullen is one of the best coaches in the nation at maximizing his roster." … Two Gators coaches -- Steve Spurrier at No. 4 and Urban Meyer at No. 8 – are ranked among Athlon's list of the 10 best coaches in SEC history … Spurrier and Meyer both suffered dips in their third seasons, winning nine games after SEC titles in their second seasons; Mullen is 21-5 in his two seasons and will try to avoid a third-year slump.
NOTABLE NUMBER: 20.89 percent – Tackles for loss, forced fumbles and passes defensed are considered havoc plays, and havoc rate is the percentage of total plays in which a defense creates havoc. Florida produced a 20.89 percent havoc rate in 2019, which was the highest mark in the SEC and sixth-best in the country.
FINAL WORDS: Will it be a playoff season in Gainesville? There's no doubt Florida will be in the running until the very end.
STREET & SMITH'S
TOP 10: 1. Clemson; 2. Ohio State; 3. Alabama; 4. Penn State; 5. Oklahoma; 6. Oregon; 7. Florida; 8. Georgia; 9. Auburn; 10. LSU.
CFB CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: Clemson vs. Ohio State
GATORS NUGGETS: Projects Florida to face Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl … In its list of five first-time playoff threats, the Gators are No. 2 behind Penn State … Has the Gators winning the SEC East over Georgia … Picks Trask at QB and Pitts at TE on its All-SEC first team … Mullen is considered the SEC's most innovative coach. "Mullen is a wizard at creating offensive opportunities and standout playmakers on that side of the ball." … Pitts is Florida's top-rated NFL prospect according to the magazine … Ranks DL Dexter, LB Derek Wingo and WR Xzavier Henderson as the three top recruits in 2020 signing class.
NOTABLE NUMBER: 55 – Tackles for LB Ventrell Miller a season ago, the most among Florida's returning players.
FINAL WORDS: Kyle Trask is the right answer at quarterback for a season in which the Gators have four true road games. If Coach Dan Mullen can score victories against LSU and Georgia, then Florida will be in Atlanta for the SEC Championship Game.
You see, as we continue to adjust to new ways of life during the coronavirus pandemic, some standard practices remain discombobulated. Thankfully, a summer trip to the magazine stand in the local bookstore or grocery store is not one of them.
Those preseason magazines that arrive each year around this time have shown up as usual to get us thinking more about college football. For Gators fans, don't be startled to see quarterback Kyle Trask running or throwing your way as you push the cart down the aisle.
In the span of a year, Trask has gone from career backup to arguably the Southeastern Conference's most-hyped quarterback entering the 2020 season. He is on the cover of all three magazines shipped to the Florida region coming off a breakout season that saw him replaced injured starter Feleipe Franks and lead the Gators to a 11-2 record and Orange Bowl victory over Virginia.
As we've done before in this space, here are some tidbits from each magazine that might be a conversation starter at the next backyard cookout with your Orange & Blue friends or Notre Dame neighbor:
TOP 10: 1. Ohio State; 2. Clemson; 3. Alabama; 4. Oklahoma; 5. Florida; 6. Penn State; 7. Georgia; 8. LSU; 9. Oregon; 10. Notre Dame.
CFB CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: Ohio State vs. Clemson
GATORS NUGGETS: Projects Florida to face Notre Dame in the Peach Bowl on Jan. 1 in Atlanta … Ranks the Florida-Georgia game on Oct. 31 in Jacksonville as the fifth-best conference game of the season nationally … Ranks DL Garvin Dexter No. 8 on its list of 10 impact freshmen across the country … Has former Gators QB Tim Tebow's Heisman Trophy-winning season of 2007 ranked second behind the 2019 season of LSU QB Joe Burrow on its list of the best Heisman seasons of the last 20 years … Considers the Florida-Georgia rivalry as the seventh-best rivalry in the country entering the 2020 season. Ranks Army-Navy No. 1, and Auburn-Alabama No. 1B … The Florida-Florida State rivalry checks in at No. 14 … Former Gators coach Will Muschamp, entering his fifth season at South Carolina, is on the sixth-hottest coaching seat according to Lindy's; USC's Clay Helton sits on the hottest … Trask's former high school teammate, D'Eriq King, is ranked as the top overall transfer QB, going from Houston to Miami; Franks is ranked the sixth-best transfer QB in the country and is now at Arkansas … Gators junior TE Kyle Pitts is a second-team pick on Lindy's All-America Team; Penn State junior TE Pat Freiermuth is the first-team selection … Trask is ranked the No. 14 overall QB in the country with Ohio State's Justin Fields the No. 1 selection … Gators sophomore Kaiir Elam is ranked the ninth overall CB in the country by Lindy's and Florida's secondary is fourth overall.NOTABLE NUMBER: 156.09 – Trask's passing efficiency rating last season, the best for a UF quarterback since Tebow (164.2) led the nation in 2009.
FINAL WORDS: A win over Georgia is imperative. The Gators have lost three in a row (and six of nine) in the series. Loftier expectations will have to wait until the cocktails are consumed in Jacksonville on Halloween. With Georgia re-tooling, Florida has to grab hold of the East. At which time the sky becomes the limit.
TOP 10: 1. Clemson; 2. Alabama; 3. Ohio State; 4. Oklahoma; 5. Penn State; 6. Florida; 7. Georgia; 8. LSU; 9. Notre Dame; 10. Oregon.
CFB CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: Alabama vs. ClemsonGATORS NUGGETS: Projects Florida to face North Carolina in the Orange Bowl in Miami … Lists Pitts as the third-team TE on its All-America Team … Ranks Trask and Emory Jones as the 12th-best quarterback unit in the country … Other position group rankings for the Gators: receivers (10th), defensive line (ninth), defensive backs (sixth) … Trask is among the "10 more to watch" group of players in the Heisman race after the top 10 players, led by Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence … Elam is among the 15 players across the country primed for a breakout season according to Athlon … In its ranking of SEC head coaches, Florida's Dan Mullen is No. 2 behind Alabama's Nick Saban. "Mullen is one of the best coaches in the nation at maximizing his roster." … Two Gators coaches -- Steve Spurrier at No. 4 and Urban Meyer at No. 8 – are ranked among Athlon's list of the 10 best coaches in SEC history … Spurrier and Meyer both suffered dips in their third seasons, winning nine games after SEC titles in their second seasons; Mullen is 21-5 in his two seasons and will try to avoid a third-year slump.
NOTABLE NUMBER: 20.89 percent – Tackles for loss, forced fumbles and passes defensed are considered havoc plays, and havoc rate is the percentage of total plays in which a defense creates havoc. Florida produced a 20.89 percent havoc rate in 2019, which was the highest mark in the SEC and sixth-best in the country.
FINAL WORDS: Will it be a playoff season in Gainesville? There's no doubt Florida will be in the running until the very end.
TOP 10: 1. Clemson; 2. Ohio State; 3. Alabama; 4. Penn State; 5. Oklahoma; 6. Oregon; 7. Florida; 8. Georgia; 9. Auburn; 10. LSU.
CFB CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: Clemson vs. Ohio State
GATORS NUGGETS: Projects Florida to face Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl … In its list of five first-time playoff threats, the Gators are No. 2 behind Penn State … Has the Gators winning the SEC East over Georgia … Picks Trask at QB and Pitts at TE on its All-SEC first team … Mullen is considered the SEC's most innovative coach. "Mullen is a wizard at creating offensive opportunities and standout playmakers on that side of the ball." … Pitts is Florida's top-rated NFL prospect according to the magazine … Ranks DL Dexter, LB Derek Wingo and WR Xzavier Henderson as the three top recruits in 2020 signing class.
NOTABLE NUMBER: 55 – Tackles for LB Ventrell Miller a season ago, the most among Florida's returning players.
FINAL WORDS: Kyle Trask is the right answer at quarterback for a season in which the Gators have four true road games. If Coach Dan Mullen can score victories against LSU and Georgia, then Florida will be in Atlanta for the SEC Championship Game.
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