What is Jordan Travis NFL Draft stock? Florida State QB lights up Wake Forest

Despite a stellar first two months of the season, Florida State quarterback Jordan Travis has been unable to climb toward the top of the Heisman race. He’s certainly solidified himself as a 2024 NFL Draft prospect, however, and he turned in another gem Saturday in a 41-16 win at Wake Forest: 22-of-35 passing for 359 yards and three TDs, plus a score on the ground.

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All of those touchdowns came before halftime, and with them (according to ESPN’s broadcast), Travis became the first Florida State player of the last 20 seasons to account for 300-plus yards of total offense and at least four TDs in one half.

Travis' career stats

(*2018 season with Louisville)

As has been the case all year, Travis leaned on his talented supporting cast to get it done. Star receiver Keon Coleman hauled in two of Travis’ three touchdown passes — he fought off multiple tackle attempts on a 29-yard score that gave the Seminoles a 17-7 lead, then later added a one-handed TD grab. Running back Trey Benson also broke loose for an 80-yard touchdown off a screen pass.

Still, Travis continues to excel for a Florida State team that’s 8-0 and has eyes on a College Football Playoff berth. How does his draft stock look as we head into November?

What is Travis doing so well this season?

Travis’ season has been sort of similar to that of Michael Penix Jr. at Washington. He’s getting the ball where it needs to be, and he’s been aggressive enough to help his talented weapons make plays. The Seminoles are loaded offensively, and so much of Travis’ job has been about just putting the ball in a somewhat catchable place and letting his guys do the rest. He’s never afraid to push the ball vertically or give a receiver a chance against man coverage.

For the most part, he’s done that well, which is why Florida State’s still rolling as an unbeaten. He can get into trouble when he starts fading and running from pressure rather than attacking it upfield — it’s a poor habit we see too often. He’s not always consistent, either, but Travis has improved his on-target throw percentage and entered Saturday ranked top 10 in the FBS in that category. — Nick Baumgardner

ONE-HANDED TD KEON COLEMAN 💪 pic.twitter.com/dnrcUcyLYH

— ESPN (@espn) October 28, 2023

I think we’re seeing what a supporting cast can do for a quarterback. Travis is mostly the same player that he was prior to this year.

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Completion percentage will wax and wane in a passing game that wants to take big shots, but Travis’ accuracy is decent enough to give his playmakers a chance. He doesn’t have the most arm talent, but he’s been a little better this year about not biting off more than he can chew downfield. Nick is right, though, about some of the inexplicable choices he still makes when pressured.

He’s too agile for most pass rushers to rein in and can create offense for himself with his legs. Now he also has the pieces around him to create consistent, explosive offense. We know that college offenses can be unlocked with elite receiver talent, and that’s what Coleman has proved to be. — Diante Lee

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This is Travis’ sixth college season, and he’ll be 24 in May. Does he still have room to develop?

Frankly, I don’t think so. That isn’t a slight or a dig at Travis’ ability or production, but I think we have to acknowledge that he’s playing the same kind of game within the same offensive system he’s had for a half-decade now. Part of that answer is due to his size (6 feet 1, 202 pounds) — it’s unrealistic to think a smaller quarterback has a high ceiling if he isn’t bringing a blue-chip arm with him. In an NFL where throwing windows seem to be closing faster than ever, I don’t see Travis having enough arm talent to carve out consistent success, especially from the pocket.

I do think he’s the kind of quarterback you bring in with a Day 3 draft pick, however, because he seems to command respect and inspire the belief of his teammates. He can play in the more spread-out offenses and use his legs to take advantage of available yards. We just know that’s not enough to win games on a regular basis at the next level. — Lee

JORDAN TRAVIS TAKES IT IN FOR 6️⃣

FSU retakes the lead in the 4th quarter! pic.twitter.com/HmwULJuFxY

— ESPN (@espn) October 22, 2023

That’s a great question, and I’m not totally sure. He’s obviously improved a ton over the last three seasons, and you can almost split his career right down the middle: The first half wasn’t great; the second half has been pretty awesome. He plays in a QB-friendly system with terrific weapons and isn’t afraid to let it rip, but he still makes too many dangerous decisions for my liking.

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He can’t do anything about his size, obviously. And he’s not afraid to play against pressure, but he is who he is.

The biggest thing for me: Travis must be as consistent as possible with ball placement from the pocket the rest of the way. If he can show an ability to make confident, accurate throws from a traditional drop without play-action, then he’s going to grow on people in the draft process. — Baumgardner

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(Photo: Grant Halverson / Getty Images)

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