Desmond Ridder
There might not be a hotter quarterback in college football right now. Desmond Ridder is leading Cincinnati on a Cinderella run in 2021 that might end up with a playoff place, which would be a remarkable achievement from a non-power five program.
Ridder has been nothing short of exceptional this season. He is the dual-threat presence that is currently a hot commodity in the NFL, with his powerful arm and eye-catching athleticism something that’s also going to go down well throughout the assessment process.
The prospect also recognizes pressure very well and is able to get out on the move in pursuit of extending plays successfully. Ridder is one of the toughest signal-callers you’ll find anywhere and his accuracy in tight windows has come on leaps and bounds throughout the current campaign.
If Ridder can brush up his timing and deep-ball success, then someone is going to get a real player on their hands.
The Carolina Panthers enjoyed a significant amount of success with a similar style of quarterback in Cam Newton. Although putting that sort of benchmark on Ridder so early in his NFL career would not be the smartest move.
That being said, the Panthers are stuck with Sam Darnold’s fifth-year option, so having someone like Ridder sitting behind the USC product before getting up to speed is a possible option.