Mason Rudolph is college football’s best kept secret at quarterback
Oklahoma State quarterback Mason Rudolph isn’t flashy compared to his in-state counterpart, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t one of the nation’s best.
Mason Rudolph and the Oklahoma State Cowboys are sliding under the radar this season. They enter the 2016 campaign ranked just barely in top 25. The Cowboys are hovering around the 20s in the preseason polls. It’s an odd spot for the Pokes to be in. Despite a 2015 Sugar Bowl appearance and 15 returning starters, they still aren’t getting the respect they deserve.
However, most teams out of Stillwater rarely get the notoriety. They are in the same state with one of college football’s blue bloods, Oklahoma. Moreover, Rudolph is being overlooked after a nice 2015 season. The quarterback to the south, Baker Mayfield, made things difficult. Mayfield is everything Rudolph is not. He’s a dual threat, explosive spark plug at the quarterback position.
The biggest road block towards his mainstream success last season was J.W. Walsh. Mike Gundy gave the senior signal caller a lot of red zone reps, which took away some of Mason Rudolph’s numbers. Walsh ended up compiling 26 total touchdowns costing him a lot production. Lundy won’t be repeating this trend which could cause Rudolph to burst onto the scene this season.
Mason Rudolph is a strong-armed, tall, traditional pocket passer. Nothing is wrong with that, but the media loves flash and he doesn’t come close to Mayfield in that aspect. So, he’s definitely seen the disparity of media coverage. Rudolph’s 2015 was efficient and productive. He threw for 3,770 yards, 21 touchdowns and just nine interceptions. He kept the ball out of the defenses hands as noted by his low interceptions.
He showed off his arm last season. It was evident by his 8.9 yards per attempt. He even had a receiver, James Washington, average over 20 yards per catch with over 50 catches. Washington paired with the strong-armed Rudolph were a match made in air raid heaven. He scorched defenses for over 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Another improvement to the weapons around him comes from transfer Barry Sanders Jr. Last season, the team carried one of the worst rushing offenses in the country. Sanders gives Rudolph a stronger running game to take some of the pressure off.
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Rudolph’s second full year under center should elevate the Cowboys’ offense to new heights. He’s been one of the nation’s more consistent starters and this season will be no different.