The highest of highs and the lowest of lows – That’s what college football fans can feel after week one of the season. However, for QB Desmond Ridder and the Cincinnati Bearcats, they must feel on top of the world. The Bearcats kicked off the season on Saturday against Miami University (OH). You can check out some of the highlights below.
Desmond Ridder Scouting Report Available Here
There’s no denying Desmond Ridder’s arm strength. His ability to create plays with his legs is as good as anyone in the class. There’s some serious decision making and accuracy things to work on but he’s as exciting as any QB in #CollegeFootball pic.twitter.com/dZYNc0jy04
— Oliver Hodgkinson (@ojhodgkinson) September 4, 2021
As shown above, Desmond Ridder wasted no time in getting the Cincinnati offense rolling. In fact, Ridder went into halftime with 229 passing yards and four touchdowns (including one rushing touchdown). In fact, Ridder had a solid first quarter, too.
Desmond Ridder in the FIRST QUARTER
◾ 9/10
◾ 158 Yards
◾ 3 TDs pic.twitter.com/zuNgOOvUt0— PFF Draft (@PFF_College) September 4, 2021
If Desmond Ridder and the Cincinnati Bearcats are able to put these type of numbers up each week, it could do a ton to boost his draft stock. Currently, I have a third-round grade on Ridder in the 2022 NFL Draft. However, if he continues to ball out, we could be talking about an early-to-mid second-round draft grade.
While Ridder isn’t a perfect quarterback prospect, he does possess several traits that NFL scouts are looking for. As evident from above, Ridder has excellent arm strength downfield. Additionally, he displays calmness in the pocket and navigates traffic rather well.
However, there are still several areas where I want to see Desmond Ridder improve. While he throws with anticipation, I’d like to see him do so with more consistency. Furthermore, ball placement is an area that needs drastic improvement. These are all fixable, but issues nonetheless.
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