A three-star recruit out of St. Xavier High School in Louisville, Desmond Ridder brought the University of Cincinnati to national prominence during his four years as their starting quarterback.
Now, the 22-year-old is headed to the *** after being selected with the *** pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Here's everything you need to know about Ridder, who finished eighth in Heisman Trophy voting in his senior season for the Bearcats:
School: University of Cincinnati
2021 Stats: 30 touchdown passes, eight interceptions, 3,334 passing yards, 64.9 completion percentage, 8.6 yards per attempt, 110 carries, 355 rushing yards, six rushing touchdowns, 3.2 rushing yards per carry, one receiving touchdown
Accolades: AAC Rookie of the Year (2018), Birmingham Bowl MVP (2020), AAC Offensive Player of the Year (2020 & 2021) and First-Team All-AAC (2020 & 2021)
Strengths: Ridder started 10 or more games in all four of his collegiate seasons, so he has a ton of experience ... will immediately be one of the better rushers at the positions in the sport ... likely to be a red-zone nightmare for opposing defensive coordinators ... by all accounts, he's a tremendous leader, an obviously important quality for a young QB to have
Weaknesses: Likely not someone that should start from the get-go ... footwork needs drastic improvements ... quite a few examples of him relying on his receiver to win 50/50 balls and/or failing to lead an open wide receiver ... sets receivers up to take big hits too frequently
NFL Comp: NFL Media's Daniel Jeremiah pointed out some of the similarities between Ridder and former No. 2 overall pick Marcus Mariota -- height, hand size, 40-yard dash times, etc. -- during the NFL Combine, and that's stuck with us. Like Mariota, Ridder will be able to lean on his athleticism as he develops as a passer. His ability to improve his footwork and grow as a passer to all levels of the field will determine whether he becomes a franchise quarterback, or is a fringe starter, like Mariota.
What experts are saying
"For a team in need of a franchise savior at the top of the draft, Ridder might not be the right target. For a team with a sound infrastructure and running game that can be relied upon, Ridder has the makings of a reliable starting quarterback with appealing physical traits, experience, and leadership qualities." - Joe Marino, The Draft Network
"It’s below average throwing at this point for an NFL starting quarterback. There are some major tweaks that have to be done in his throwing that are a little concerning to me. The running is real…the read-option is going to be a real threat for Desmond Ridder in the NFL. He is one of those guys, read-option, he keeps it around the edge, he can go for a 70-yard touchdown. The speed is worthy of that. But he’s got the worst feet in the pocket out of any of the top guys. He lets his arm get a little floppy…He’s not a good short ball thrower." - Chris Simms, NBC Sports
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