Jordan Travis, QB Florida State: 2023 NFL Draft Profile
Travis was a three-star recruit from The Benjamin School in North Palm Beach, Fla. in the class of 2018
The Florida State Seminoles are 4-1 this season largely thanks to quarterback Jordan Travis who is on pace to be the program’s most productive quarterback since Deondre Francois in 2016. Let’s cover Travis’ prospect profile for the 2023 NFL Draft.
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Jordan Travis, QB Florida State: 2023 NFL Draft Profile
Classification: Redshirt junior quarterback from West Palm Beach, Fla.
Background: Travis was a three-star recruit from The Benjamin School in North Palm Beach, Fla. in the class of 2018. He was the No. 889 recruit according to 247Sports and No. 866 for On3.com. Travis was an unranked three-star recruit for Rivals. He was an unranked three-star recruit for ESPN with a 75 grade out of 100. As a high school senior, Travis was the 2017 FHSAA 3-A Player of the Year and Palm Beach Player of the Year. He completed 130 of 213 pass attempts for 2,190 yards and 24 touchdowns while rushing 70 times for 905 yards and 16 touchdowns. Travis was his conference’s Offensive Player of the Year as a high school junior. That season, he threw for 2,017 yards and 21 touchdowns and ran for 384 yards and 11 touchdowns. His brother (Devon Travis) played baseball at Florida State from 2010-12 and spent four seasons as a member of the Toronto Blue Jays in MLB. The younger Travis transferred from Louisville to Florida State before the 2019 season. He owns Florida State’s career records for rushing yards and rushing touchdowns by a quarterback.
2021 Production: 10 games, 194 attempts, 122 completions, 1,539 yards, 15 touchdowns, 6 interceptions + 134 carries, 530 yards, 7 touchdowns
2020 Production: 8 games, 131 attempts, 72 completions, 1,056 yards, 6 touchdowns, 6 interceptions + 97 carries, 569 yards, 7 touchdowns
2019 Production: 4 games, 11 attempts, 6 completions, 79 yards + 23 carries, 228 rushing yards, 3 touchdowns
2018 Production: 3 games, 14 attempts, 4 completions, 71 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception (Redshirt Year)
Injuries & Off-Field: Suffered a leg injury against Louisville (2022) but didn’t miss a game
Awards: N/A
Pros: Decreased time to throw from 2021 to 2022, rarely penalized, high level mobility and speed to roll out, escape pressure, extend plays, and punish defenses with his legs, shows explosiveness and shiftiness as a runner, comfortable throwing on the run, quick release, compact and clean throwing motion, connected on 50-yard passes against Jacksonville State (2020) and LSU (2022), puts touch on intermediate and deep throws, varies release angles and arm slots, drives the ball into tight windows over the middle of the field, accurate on the move, flashes of going through all of his progressions, good use of back shoulder throws in the red zone
Cons: Fumbled seven times in 2021, needs to protect himself more at the end of runs, throws fading away at times, handful of underthrows on passes 30+ yards downfield, large number of freelance plays, ball placement downfield is erratic, footwork in the pocket appears somewhat segmented, too often on his toes in the pocket, base is inconsistent when he throws, appears limited in his ability to truly unlock throws over 50 yards, quick to scramble with a limited pocket presence, overthrows on downfield strikes, occasionally gets stuck on a target and stares him down, double clutches get him into trouble, hasty decisions when pressured in the pocket, has “hop” throws where his feet aren’t set
Overview: Travis is unofficially listed at 6'1", 212 lbs. The Florida State quarterback is one of the best mobile options in the 2022 class. He generated roughly 400 yards after contact in 2021 while ripping off more than 20 runs of ten or more yards. Travis excels at escaping pressure to extend plays. He’s shifty and explosive as a runner with the speed to shred defenses for chunk plays. The redshirt junior is accurate and comfortable throwing on the run, which amplifies his ability to break the pocket while keeping his eyes downfield. Travis has a quick release and compact throwing motion that lets the ball come out quickly. He applies touch on intermediate and deep throws, giving his targets soft passes that arrive with solid accuracy. The Florida native varies his release angles and arm slots to throw around defenders. He’s able to drive the ball into tight windows over the middle of the field and makes good use of back shoulder throws in the red zone. There are more flashes of Travis working through his progressions in 2022 than past years, but he occasionally gets stuck on a target and stares him down. Like with most mobile quarterbacks, ball security is an issue for Travis. He fumbled seven times in 2021. He also needs to protect himself more at the end of runs to avoid taking hard hits. Travis’ lower body mechanics are all over the place. He often fails to throw with a set base, instead opting for a hop-and-throw style that decreases his accuracy. Travis fades away when throwing the football, even when he’s not facing pressure. His footwork in the pocket appears segmented, and he’s often on his toes. Travis is quick to scramble and has a limited pocket presence. His accuracy on downfield strikes is erratic, and he appears limited in his ability to truly unlock throws over 50 yards. Travis connected on 50-yard passes against Jacksonville State (2020) and LSU (2022), but that’s the extent of his arm talent.
Overall, Travis is a creative mobile quarterback with an explosive running style, but he lacks the lower body mechanics and pocket presence to warrant a high draft pick. The former three-star recruit should get his shot in the NFL because of his physical capabilities and room for improvement.
Role & Scheme Fit: RPO-heavy scheme
Round Projection: Mid Sixth to UDFA
Player Comparison: N/A
Submitted: 10-05-22