Jordan Travis was having an unbelievable year before he went down with a season-ending lower leg injury. He led the Seminoles to an 11-0 record before he got hurt, and the sky was the limit for this team. They still finished the season undefeated but unfortunately missed the College Football Playoffs because the committee didn't think the team would be competitive enough without Travis. That is how much of an impact he made on this team. The team had phenomenal offensive weapons and yet they could not operate the same. Travis's backup, Brock Glenn, threw for 55 yards against Louisville, completing just 8 out of 21 passes. The hard truth was although they were 13-0, they weren't going to make any noise in the playoffs without QB1.
In 11 games (technically 10 because he got hurt early in the 11th) Travis totaled 2,756 passing yards, 176 rushing yards, 27 total touchdowns, and only two interceptions. He was on pace to have a fairly similar season as last year when he made his breakthrough in college football. In 2022, he finished with 3,214 passing yards, 417 rushing yards, 31 total touchdowns, and five interceptions. He is an exciting player to watch who proved he can make a serious impact. The only problem with his draft stock is his age (23, turning 24 in May) and his recent season-ending injury. He could fall a couple of rounds from this.
Player Bio
Name: Jordan Travis
Jersey: No. 13
Position: QB
School: FSU
Class: Senior (6th year)
Height: 6'1
Weight: 212 lbs.
Games Watched: LSU (2022), Oklahoma (2022), LSU (2023), Clemson (2023), Duke (2023)
Injury History: Suffered season-ending lower leg injury in 2023
Player Breakdown
Arm Talent (11.5/15)
The offense that Travis was a part of revolved around screens and deep balls. But just because he threw the deep ball all the time doesn't mean it was a powerful throw every time. He showed flashes of arm strength, but compared to other quarterbacks in this draft and the NFL, he is just average in that category. He has good touch and seems to be able to lob it in there most of the time deep, but it isn't as fast or hard as some may like. It also helped that he had 6'4 and 6'7 receivers in Keon Coleman and Johnny Wilson. There is no knock on Travis here because I am high on him compared to others, but this isn't the strongest part of his game.
Accuracy (12/15)
Travis's game involves a lot of deep balls to be thrown. This can result in plenty of pass breakups or overthrows, so his completion percentage doesn't tell the whole story here. He finished with a 63.9% completion percentage. Not the worst, not the best, but definitely can improve. There are some games where he'll put the ball right on the money, and some where you question multiple throws. On a positive note, his completion percentage has improved every year, so he can continue building off that. He also can take a hit in the pocket and still deliver a beautiful ball. This is because of his quick release and pocket presence. He gets the ball out fast and under any condition. Once again, he had lots of weapons as well, so as long as he threw it near them, they had a chance to make a play on the ball. More of a touch passer than someone who will bullet it in like a Herbert type.
Decision Making (14/15)
One of Jordan's best traits is his decision-making. He is one of the most intelligent quarterbacks in this class and knows when to attempt risky plays and when not to. His intelligence of what decision to make on the fly has resulted in just two interceptions this year, and five last year. The decision-making and mobility make up for his lack of zip on the ball.
Progressions (8/10)
Can read and understand defensive coverages at an above-average level. As I mentioned, he is very smart, so he'll score high on any mental aspect of the game. He doesn't just stare down one receiver and throw to them. He analyzes what the defense is giving him and makes the correct read more often than not. If a play isn't there, he knows when to hit the running back and play it safe.
Pocket Awareness (9/10)
Jordan Travis has that Houdini-esque play style to him. He can feel when things are about to collapse in the pocket and tends to make the most out of it. His escapability is top tier, and he can continue to make plays when chaos is happening. He is a cool, calm, collected individual who maintains his composure when the play isn't going as planned.
Anticipation/Touch (7/10)
This is another area of Jordan's game that can improve. He tends to wait until the receiver is open before throwing it. But as I stated above, his arm strength isn't the highlight of his playing style. So, he needs to throw players open, instead of waiting for them to be wide open. Anticipate what is going to happen once he throws the ball. If not, defenders will take advantage of that in the NFL.
Out of Structure (8/10)
Travis always seems to make something out of nothing. He is quite the improviser once the play breaks down. He can throw on the run, make defenders miss in the pocket, or even use his legs to pick up extra yardage himself. Some would say he's at his best when plays like this occur because he sees it as controlled chaos. Most quarterbacks will take the sack or throw the ball away. But Travis always seems to make magic happen when a play breaks down.
Mobility (8/10)
Although not necessarily the fastest quarterback in the class, Travis knows when to take off and run it himself. In 2022, he had 417 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns. This past season, he wanted to focus on being more of a pocket passer but still tallied 176 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns. He definitely ran less this year, but it is still a tool in his game that he will use to break out of chaos when needed. Travis is also rumored to run about a 4.6 40-yard dash.
Mechanics (2.5/5)
Travis doesn't have the prototypical mechanics that NFL teams want to see. He has trouble transferring his weight and has an awkward base. It almost looks like he is aiming the ball instead of just firing it. Look at this video, and you'll understand what I'm saying. He doesn't seem like he fires off his back foot, which can be a reason for his lack of power and accuracy sometimes.
Player Summary
I am higher on Jordan Travis than most. Many people don't like the age, but if you look at this draft, guys like Daniels, Penix, and Nix are all being talked about so highly, and they are 23+ as well. Leading a team to an undefeated season shows he's a true leader that players can get behind, having ultimate success while showing elite composure. It is not easy to go undefeated. So many things don't break in your favor, and it takes a special talent to overcome those challenges and stay focused. He is one of, if not, the smartest quarterback in the draft, and teams need to take advantage of that. There have been plenty of quarterbacks who have a high IQ and aren't as physically talented. But Travis has a mix of both. He makes great decisions and is physically gifted.
There's a lot of good to Jordan Travis, but he's not a finished product by any means. His mechanics are the most important thing he needs to focus on during the off-season. Hopefully, he gets drafted to a team with a good starting QB, and a coaching staff that can develop him. He needs to sit a year or two and implement good habits by watching a proven QB every day in practice while the coaches tell him what to pick up on. This will improve his throwing power and accuracy. He is a work in progress, but it can be worth it in the long run. The clock is ticking because he will be 24 once the season starts, but a team willing to take a shot might end up with a diamond in the rough.
Because of his injury history and age, I can see him falling anywhere to round 3-5. But he has the talent to be a Late 2nd- Early 3rd, in my opinion. I can't see him getting taken before Williams, Maye, Daniels, Penix, McCarthy, or Nix, so I could see him as QB7 taken. He'll likely be taken in round four, given his situation.
Rookie Projection: Backup Quarterback
Third-Year Projection: Potential Starter
Final Grade (80/100) Early Third-Round Talent
Main Image Via