Desmond Ridder had a fantastic season with the Cincinnati Bearcats, and now he’s looking for a new goal in the NFL. The Louisville, Kentucky native led the Bearcats to an undefeated 13-0 record, including an AAC Championship Game win against the Houston Cougars. Ridder threw for three touchdowns in that game on the way to Cincinnati’s first-ever playoff berth. Ridder has proven that he can take his game to another level despite the blowout loss to Alabama.
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Mobility
Ridder threw for 3,334 yards on his way to 30 touchdowns. NFL scouts have been keeping a close eye on him since Tuesday morning’s start of Senior Bowl practice. Scouts like the frame and height that he poses. At 6’4″, 215 Ibs, Ridder hits all the body requirements that scouts are after. He’s also a very mobile quarterback. While he’s been great in the pocket for the Bearcats, Ridder had 28 career rushing touchdowns in Cincinnati which is the highest ever for a Cincinnati Bearcats quarterback. Along with his mobility comes the use of the read/RPO play calling. Great to use him in the zone option that can trip up a defense at any time.
Accuracy
Wednesday after Senior Bowl practice, Ridder said his accuracy was the number one thing he wanted to display to potential NFL teams. He notes that it was especially tough dealing with the rain. “It’s tough out in the rain with the ball being slippery, but it’s a part of the game,” Ridder said. “I just wanted to display how accurate I was hitting the frames of any wide receiver, running back, or tight ends bodies.” Ridder and the rest of the Senior Bowl group had to deal with a rainstorm Wednesday afternoon. He said the quarterback group wanted to impress despite the weather conditions, and they did.
Desmond Ridder has thrown the furthest pass by air distance, 62.5 yards on a deep route down the sideline to Bo Melton. The pass was also the highest initial spin rate recorded on a pass in the National practice today – 673.9 RPM. @ZebraTechnology #TheDraftStartsInMOBILE™️ pic.twitter.com/RDcIVQo2vX
— Reese's Senior Bowl (@seniorbowl) February 2, 2022
Senior Group Elevating Ridder
While playing with a top-four team in the country with Cincinnati, Ridder notes that the senior wide receiving group has many benefits. “Iron sharpens iron, we’re all competing for our careers, and everyone’s being elevated from each other,” Ridder said. He also notes that one of his biggest goals has been lengthening his stride on the field. “My base has been tight, so that led to me over striding,” Ridder said. “It takes some time to get comfortable with, but I’m going to continue to grow on this.”
One of the last to leave the field is Cincinnati’s Desmond Ridder.
Despite the pouring rain, he makes sure to sign an autograph. pic.twitter.com/00y97uwHag
— Kole Emplit (@KoleEmplit) February 2, 2022
Ridder and the rest of the Senior Bowl resume practice Thursday. This time practice will be held in the Jaguar Training Center due to expected inclement weather. For the players’ safety, only access will be the senior bowl media partners, NFL teams and digital staff, and local broadcast media.
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Main Image Credit: Embed from Getty Images
