Anyone have any thoughts on Desmond Ridder Cincinnati ? I haven’t seen him but he has put 2 good seasons together.
He's been a binky of sorts for a few years even though I tell myself I have no more binkys.
Big time whip. + arm talent. Touches the pedal for easy gas. He can hit 55-60 air yards np. Plenty of velocity. Not consistent enough but at times he shows big time touch, accuracy and placement. Can really drop it in the bucket. Comparable to Justin Herbert, Jordan Love. You can do a lot with that type of arm. Really opens things up in terms of play calling.
He produced right out the gate as a true FO. 20/5 & 60+% followed up by 18/9 55% & comp 66% this year. Cinci resembles a NFL more than most college teams. Balanced. They ask him to play mistake free. Very few overall TO and turn it up when it matters the most. With his arm or legs.
He's a truck at 6'4/215. NFL size, looks & is an athlete. Has to learn to protect himself when he takes off but he has wheels. NFL speed will neutralize some of his big runs but no big deal. Hes still very much capable of ripping off 30+ chunks bc of his speed and big strides.
Has to improve deep accuracy, keep working on and improving his footwork and pocket awareness/presence. The last two aren't problems just he could improve and he has. He's improved in so many areas since his FO year. That tells me he's actually working and a football player. You don't go from flash/potential to where he is without working hard.
He can throw guys open but could improve his eye manipulation and anticipation in terms of not staring down targets. Wants to put it on his shoulders to win every play but plays great within the structure. Executes his offense and plays the "game manager" part that is actually a great complement of a QB's play imo. That tells me his coaches trust him. He can handle running an RPO/RO scheme and just wants to win. He won't sell out his teammates to make plays.
Trevor Lawrence's best asset might be his ability to throw on the run. Particularly away from his dominant side. That's important. Defenses will try to trap you. Ridder's arm is is whip and can just do different things with it. Mobility and ability to throw on the run are huge.
He came on around 5'11/190 soaking wet. Hes a worker in all ways. Study's his film and others. Wants to learn. Vocal about football being a team sport. Wants to win and his college career reflects that. 30+ wins and I know wins aren't a QB stat but I'll use it here anyway. It does reflect well on his play, attitude and growth though. He's grown physically and matured big time. He's still a pup but again wants to learn and has shown big time growth in a short time.
He's a legit JR so he still has 2 good years to where he can improve, adjust and so on and still have a long career. He's not a finished product by any means. I think some teams will love him once the get close to him after the season.