Jordan Travis 2024 Draft Profile
Jordan Travis
QB, Florida State
Redshirt Senior
Measurables (via Florida State Seminoles Athletics)
Height: 6’1”
Weight: 212 lbs
FSU QB Jordan Travis (13) – Timothy D. Easley/AP Photo
BIO
It’s been a long, linear climb for Jordan Travis’ collegiate career. The now redshirt senior (currently age 23) has steadily invested his time at the QB position and although it was a little convoluted at first, it’s safe to say that investment has formulated, and the accession as one of the nation’s top playcallers has finally arrived.
Travis was a former 3-star recruit out of Florida who opted to join Louisville in 2018. As a freshman, he saw action in three games for the Cardinals, in which he threw for 71 yards on 14 attempts. He had one touchdown, a completion percentage of 28.6, and averaged 5.1 yards per pass.
He then transferred to Florida State his sophomore season, and there was even talk of him switching positions from QB to WR. Respectively, he played in 4 games in the 2019 season, where he only generated 91 yards on 12 attempts. He did, however, have 232 yards rushing on 22 attempts.
After a commendable 2021 season, Travis finally had his “breakout” season in 2022 – where he passed for 24 touchdowns, 3,214 yards, and only five interceptions.
And now, deservedly so, he’s a top 5 preseason betting favorite to win the Heisman. The Seminoles are poised to be contenders in 2023. And Travis has the playmakers around him to further add to his lengthy but promising resume for the NFL.
The athletic tools and intangibles have all been there; this is what merited a conversation about a position change. But Travis has steadily put it all together and despite his average frame, he has the athletic profile, smarts, and passing ability to be a highly coveted draft prospect come next spring. If not, much like his tenure at Florida State, any team that decides to buy low on him, the return on investment for Travis can be substantial.
KEY STATS (via Sports Reference CFB)
2018 (Louisville): three games, four completions on 14 attempts, 71 yards, one TD, one INT,
2019 (Florida State): four games, six completions on 11 attempts, 79 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT
2020 (Florida State): eight games, 72 completions on 131 attempts, 1056 yards, six TD, six INT
2021 (Florida State): ten games, 122 completions on 194 attempts, 1539 yards, 15 TD, six INT
2022 (Florida State): 13 games, 226 completions on 353 attempts, 3214 yards, 24 TD, five INT
STRENGTHS
Creativity
Arguably, it’s his best trait. He’s a playmaker, but it’s all calculated. He has a great feel for the pocket, and he will still net positive yards when a play falls apart initially. Even if he is forced out of the pocket, he’ll leave defenders guessing with his running capabilities and tremendous ability to throw on the run.
Threat as a Runner
As much as he has the ability to scramble and make plays as a runner, he is still very poised. He does, however, average 5 yards per carry and has had 7 rushing TDs in each of the three seasons between 2020-2022. And it’s not sporadic. He’s determined and can get out past the edge quickly or fight for those tough yards.
Versatility as a passer
Travis has adequate arm strength, and he makes it look effortless. He can make all the throws. Whether it be from the opposite hash, a deep shot down the sideline, or threading the needle over the middle, he has the power to do it all. And even so, he does a great job of throttling the speed on throws and throwing away from defenders. Travis’ ability to throw on the run is phenomenal. And one of his best traits as a passer is how quick his release is.
WEAKNESSES
Footwork/Lower Body Mechanics
I don’t know if it can be a weakness, being that his footwork is not good, yet he still makes all the throws that he does. Regardless, I don’t think it’s going to translate really well in the long term at the next level. Travis stays flat-footed a lot of times and has a hard time stepping into passes – but the arm strength is still a great trait.
It’s perplexing. But it does cause a lot of passes to sail. Also, he throws off his backfoot a lot. He relies too much on his arm strength to generate torque on his passes rather than his hips and lower body. It’s proven not to be his total demise, and it is all coachable. But banking on these tendencies to formulate outside of the college level shouldn’t be advised. It is definitely his most apparent deficiency.
Too patient at times
Although he demonstrates great composure, Travis often likes to see his receivers open rather than throwing them open. He survives this with his previously mentioned quick release as a passer, but his quick draw is limited by being gun-shy at times. Much of that explains how he has to make a play on the run a lot of times when plays fall apart. Also, that patience leads to hanging in the pocket for too long and taking ill-advised sacks. A timing-based offense isn’t going to be his forte.
Age
This is going to be a “super sixth-year” season for him at Florida State and he’s going to be 24 as a rookie. Without the extended time at college, it’s tough to say if Travis’ growth as a QB would have flourished as it has, however.
IDEAL FIT
As mentioned before, being matched up with a timing-based offense/receiver isn’t going to maximize Travis’ potential. He’s a playmaker who would thrive in a quick setting, RPO offense. It is tough to gauge Travis’ ability to progress through reads as Florida State runs a first-read, half-field-read, and pre-snap-read plays. Age is a factor, but it would benefit Travis to possibly sit behind an entrenched starter for a year.
SUMMARY
Jordan Travis has a highly coveted skillset that can translate to being a playmaker at the next level. But there are also some glaring mechanical inefficiencies that don’t bode well for a consistent NFL starter. They are all coachable, however, and Travis has proven over his long collegiate career that he is able to hone on those flaws.
I’m a believer in him. It’s tough to ignore his electric, playmaking ability out of structure and the arm talent and athleticism to be a competitor. The pre-draft process is going to be an interesting situation to monitor to see how well Travis can diagnose passing progressions at the next level and how he fairs outside of the current Seminole playbook.
He’s not the generational talent in Caleb Williams or, dare I say, Drake Maye. But the value you can get in Travis in potentially the 2nd round is going to be considerable. The flaws are all coachable. And the positive attributes are exactly the characteristics you want in a signal caller.
He’s proven to be dedicated. The long, linear climb to stardom can’t be ignored. And leading Florida State to a highly anticipated season and being a preseason Heisman favorite is not by accident.
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