I am not one of those critics. He would have to have done something monumental in that season to put him above Leak and Grossman in admiration. He is still 100% about potential. He is 10s of millions of dollars to the good regardless of how he was catered to by Mullen and CBN, but he does not have a single season post-high school that he has not played with an injury significantly affecting his play. I hear from posters that Mullen and CBN did him no favors, but he showed his last year under CBN that he was not ready as a QB any earlier, so you can't blame Mullen. He had to be in an offense that did not get him injured and allowed him to show that he could pass out of the pocket without getting hurt, and he could choose to check out of plays and run when he wanted, so you can't really blame CBN for not catering to him and giving him a platform to get drafted, using his best tools. How many offenses are out there that showcase his one attribute: long down the field?
I 100% agree with this and this is why I wish he would have had some perspective and not said those things in the interview. Kind of like not really being invested in a relationship with someone really trying and then telling everyone she wasn't that great anyways. Just...why?
My "favorable" opinion of him has more to do with him being a homegrown kid who has acquitted himself well as a good and decent person so far. I agree almost completely with your assessment of his football performance and handling with the caveat that there seemed to be a tense relationship with Mullen for whatever reason. Was that more AR or more Mullen? I don't have the slightest idea but we do know Mullen at least publicly treated Jones much more favorably for whatever reason. Was Mullen the egomaniac he's rumored to be that wanted to force his hand picked QB or was AR a difficult student?Again, no idea. My take on his stance amongst Gator legends was strictly based on potential not results. Had he stayed another year and really owned the position the potential was there as a homegrown, lower ranked recruit and freak athlete.
I think it had more to do with Mullen. He could be abrasive, but if I was a qb wanting to make millions, I would listen to that goofball. I agree that AR started at a higher starting point to be a Gator legend than Leak or Grossman, and i really wanted him to be unstoppable. I wish it had worked out better. If he never gets injuries under control, we will know it was never meant to be anywhere.
I'm probably in the minority that gave Mullen a pass for playing Franks over Trask. Franks was highly ranked and seen as a recruiting win. He was seen as a more willing and physical runner that Mullen preferred. Franks was popular with the locker room. Finally, once franks looked like he might get benched Trask got hurt. Then franks played well to close out 2018. Mullen probably didn't want to lose franks if he benched him for an injury prone Trask and no one else ready to play in 2019. Just seemed like bad timing. But Mullen butchered the QB room and how he handled Jones, AR and recruiting QBs.
I remember the I review but not the player that said it was obvious to everyone at practice that Trask was much better.
True. Lol you gotta see the recent Jordan Scarlett interview when he talks about the QB room…..he said everyone in the locker room knew Trask was better but FF was well loved. He did say Grier vs Treon caused a divide GREEEEAT interview btw
He was definitely a head scratcher. One game he looked like superman the next like he didn't belong on the field. I have to give Mullens some slack, because if he threw the ball in practice like he did sometimes in games how do you start him? The man was 6'4" 245lb and ran a 4.4, if he had half the heart and competitiveness of Tebow he would have won a lot more games and would have been showered with love. It seemed like, if he had any slight injury, he would turtle and shutdown and protect himself for the NFL. I think he may have a low tolerance for pain, thus being put to sleep for a tattoo. I'm glad he went high in the draft based on potential and I wish him good luck, but realize he has a lot to prove as he was not elite at the high school level nor the college level.
physically makes me ill thinking about that game. Three first half int’a and he couldn’t lead us to ONE touchdown
In retrospect, it's real easy to say Mullen was a damn fool to play Franks over Trask. Ok, I get it, but as has been pointed out, Mullen seemed to place senority over skill. For what it's worth, IMO, Trask had the greatest statistical season in Gator History his last year and I will be forever grateful for that. He also came in his Jr. year after FF's injury and was magnificent. But going back to Franks / Trasks Jr year - An observation: Trasks FIRST pass in the spring game that year was a TD..........yes, as in a pick 6, TD the other way. Anyone notice Trask had a rather remarkable tendency to throw TD passes? As in one way or another? He had quite a few pick 6's go the other way. I attribute that to his precision, check out his film, the guy could throw the rock through a donut hole sized space, most times it worked, sometimes it didn't. Having Pitts at T.E. helped a little too
I didn't think he was talking about Franks. Franks played with heart. With exception being the Missouri game he never gave up.