Kedon Slovis didn’t have the traditional path to the NFL. A once promising career hit multiple detours, but he still ended up at the NFL Combine preparing for the draft. It’s a journey that’s been well documented, but Slovis hasn’t lost sight of what he wants.
A future in the NFL is still in the cards for him, and he brings experience from three different schools that shaped him. If he can stay healthy, the talent is there to keep him in the league for a while.
Kedon Slovis, the Journeyman
If you ask Kedon Slovis which stop he liked best, you won’t get a straight-up answer. At the NFL Combine, he mentioned that each stop provided him with “great people” and “great experiences.”
Multiple offenses from the Air Raid at USC to a hybrid West Coast offense at BYU gave him experience in several schemes. That should help him learn a new playbook in the NFL, and the coaches he learned from will also help in the league.
One coach, however, stood out to Slovis.
Graham Harrell has bounced around the college football world over the past few years, and he coached Slovis when he was at USC. “Coach Harrell, the Air Raid guy, played in the West Coast offense in the NFL too,” Slovis mentioned about his previous coordinator. Coincidentally, his first year with Harrell produced his best career season with 3,502 yards and 30 touchdowns.
If Slovis can channel the USC version of himself, then he’ll be fun to watch in the NFL.
That was a guy who had ice in his veins and looked like a quarterback destined to play football professionally. Injuries and inconsistent play hampered him towards the end of his time at USC, but it gave Slovis perspectives that helped shape him as a player.
When answering questions at the Combine, you heard Slovis’ ability to retain information and remember certain plays. He mentioned a game from his time at Pittsburgh when they played Tennessee where the Panthers lined up a running back outside and motioned them in to the backfield.
Slovis went through his pre-snap reads saying “If they’re in man, I give an alert, throw a slant for a first down, if not, they’re in zone, we’ll run like a stick concept or a quick game concept.” It was a basic part of the game, but it shows that he meticulously prepares so that he knows what to do with certain looks.
KEEP READING: 2024 Big 12 Power Rankings
If Slovis can rediscover his elite play, then the team that drafts him is getting a steal of a prospect. Health will be a big question for him, but his time at the NFL Combine will show teams what kind of player they’re getting.
Miss any action from the top college QB Rankings during the 2023 football season? Want to track all the movement with the college football transfer portal? College Football Network has you covered with that and more!