All the quarterback talk this season has been about juniors Jake Locker, Jimmy Clausen, Sam Bradford and Jevan Snead. But in a 30-27 win over North Carolina Thursday night, Florida State’s Christian Ponder made an argument to join the discussion.
Entering the game, the Tar Heels were first in nation in pass defense. How did Ponder respond? By completing 33 of 40 passes for 395 yards and three touchdowns.
It’s been an incredible year for Ponder. In seven games, he has 2,176 yards passing, 12 touchdowns and only one interception. On the season, he’s completing a sparkling 70 percent of his passes.
As a prospect, Ponder’s arm might not be as strong as Locker’s or Snead’s, but it’s just as good as Clausen’s and Bradford’s.
He also has plenty of athleticism for a quarterback. It’s great that Locker can run a 4.4 40-yard dash, but how relevant is that to the position?
During the game’s broadcast, ESPN’s Jesse Palmer said Ponder runs the fastest shuttle on Florida State. For the position, that means he can elude pressure well, which he did nicely of in the second half.
Ponder’s football intelligence is clearly optimal. He’s been given the freedom to check down at the line of scrimmage and change plays. Unlike most of today’s college quarterbacks, he doesn’t lock onto one receiver. Sure, he’s guilty of that on occasion, but it’s a correctable problem.
Ponder’s size seems a little inflated at 6-foot-3, but Clausen is considered an early first-round pick and has similar height.
FSU’s Christian Ponder looking legit as an NFL prospect
The ‘Noles junior would be wise to return for his senior season, though. He has a slender frame so, like Bradford, there might be durability issues. Ponder also has to keep the ball higher before his release and speed up his delivery.
He also has to put a little more zip on throws outside the hashes. On out routes, his passes tend to flutter and can be broken up.
This has also been Ponder’s only good season after sputtering most of last year. But looking ahead to the 2011 draft, there’s plenty of intrigue in Ponder’s game.
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