LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- When it comes to the NFL Draft, this much is sure: It is better to be the guy who is hyped up than the one who is cooling off.
In the case of Louisville quarterback Tyler Shough, the draft momentum is visibly picking up steam. Coming into this past season, the story on Shough was that he was a seventh-year (!) college quarterback who had struggled with injuries.
Coming out of a year in Louisville in which he played in every regular season game, avoided injury and threw for 3,195 yards and 26 touchdowns with only six interceptions, the updated narrative is that he is an experienced quarterback with great accuracy and a live arm.
His age and injury history may keep him from being a high draft pick. But NFL analysts love value, and, in Shough, they're seeing it. Originally a projected sixth-rounder, he could go higher after impressive workouts before the Senior Bowl. He'll throw at the NFL Scouting Combine on Saturday in Indianapolis. Shadeur Sanders, projected by some to be the top player taken in the draft, has already said he won't throw. Miami's Cam Ward, another top quarterback prospect, hasn't announced a decision yet.
Shough left no doubt. When ESPN's Louis Riddick noted all three were slated to be in the same group at the combine, he posted on X that he'd like to see all three actually throw and go through drills at the combine.
Tyler Shough throws a pass on the run in the first half of Louisville’s game at Kentucky.
Shough immediately responded, "I'm coming to throw and compete 100%."
There's little for Shough to lose. NFL Draft Buzz had him ranked at No. 11 among available quarterbacks, but he's been steadily trending upward as he works out for different teams and trains with QB Country, an outfit that also worked with Drake Maye, Bo Nix and Arch Manning.
At ESPN, Reddick is a believer not only in Shough but in Louisville head coach Jeff Brohm and quarterbacks coach Brian Brohm. The Louisville football social media accounts were quick to post a recent comment from Riddick about Shough.
"This kid is going to be the surprise and steal of the draft, in particular at QB," Riddick said. "He can throw it. He's mobile. He's big. He's mature. He's a guy who has a lot of mental horsepower and he is a guy who's been coached by Jeff and Brian Brohm, and, to me, right now, there is no one better as far as tutoring quarterbacks for the pro game in all of college football."
He's not the only one at ESPN who is a fan. Todd McShay recently posted, "There aren't four quarterbacks in this draft class more gifted with NFL tools than Louisville QB Tyler Shough. There. I said it. Goodnight."
Goodness.
It all sets up a high-stakes date for Shough at the Scouting Combine in Indianapolis on Saturday. It's a place where your game can be ripped apart just as much as it can be discovered. But for Shough, who is trying to overcome questions over his age and health, it's more of an opportunity than an obstacle.
And while age is always a factor – Shough will be 26 in September, roughly the same age as guys NFL vets like Jalen Hurts and Tua Tagoviola are now – if you can read defenses and deliver the ball, a good many teams might see you as more game-ready.
Brent Sobleski, an analyst for Bleacher Report, recently wrote that Shough could be walking into a good situation at the combine.
"The combine can significantly help his case, because it's set up for him to succeed," Sobleski said. "He's a 6'5", 224-pound prospect (he measured at 6-4 at the Senior Bowl), with the mobility to show he can create some space outside of structure. More importantly, he has significant natural arm talent. He can make all of the throws, which will be display once he's on the carpet at Lucas Oil Stadium."
Louisville quarterback Tyler Shough turns loose a 33-yard touchdown pass in the Cardinals' win over Austin Peay.
Brian Brohm, who had an entire season with Shough and himself went through the combine process years ago, thinks the Arizona native is in a good spot.
"I think Tyler has taken a great approach to the whole process," Brohm said. "He went out and competed at the Senior Bowl, and I think he really was able to highlight a lot of things we saw every, single day. He's tremendous in the meeting room, a great team leader, good on the field, good at recognizing coverages and defenses, and obviously his natural talent, I think, showed through. Hes got a big arm, he's athletic, he can move, he can operate at a high speed. So, he's got a great approach and I think he's going to go and compete at the combine and just kind of show everybody what he can do."
Over the course of his seven college seasons, Shough played for three programs known for offense: Oregon, Texas Tech and Louisville. And Brohm said his familiarity with that variety of systems works in his favor. His age might not. But with teams needing quality quarterbacks who can play sooner than later, Shough could be, again, well-positioned.
"Tyler is ready," Brohm said. "He's got a lot of experience, obviously, seven years of college football, but he's played in a bunch of different systems for different coaches. He understands football really well. And he's grown his game. ... He has a lot of real football experience that I think makes him a ready-made player for the for the National Football League."
As Riddick's comments suggest, Shough's time spent with the Brohms could also work in his favor. From Aidan O'Connell and David Blough at Purdue to WKU quarterbacks Mike White and and Austin Reed, the brothers have developed a reputation for taking quarterbacks who weren't necessarily household names and installing a foundation that can lead to success in the NFL.
Louisville offensive coordinator Brian Brohm works with the quarterbacks during a 2024 preseason practice.
"I think we run a system that I believe is very NFL-like," Brohm said. "It's going to prepare quarterbacks for that next level where they're going to have to learn a lot of football. We require our guys to learn defenses, to learn a high volume of offense, to learn new stuff every single day. We're not just a system that you can come in and learn it and know it. I'll tell our recruits this all the time. You can't just come in and in a couple months learn it all and then just kick your feet up, because because we're going to challenge these guys to learn new stuff, to further their game, to fully understand the offense and what the defense is doing. That's how we coach these guys – and how we were coached in the NFL and in college. I think just the volume that that we carry really does help guys get to the next level, because they've been exposed to the type and number of plays that they're going to be asked to do, the type of checks at the line of scrimmage, the type of ID and defense, all those type of things carry over to the next level. And a lot of schools out there are doing all those things. Some make it a lot simpler, and it's successful in college. But sometimes those guys get to the next level, and they haven't done it yet, so they don't have that exposure. But with our system, I think they get that."
Brohm said he thinks Shough will handle the off-the-field requirements of the combine, which are considerable.
"It was definitely something that is hard to prepare for completely," Brohm said. "You know, it's kind of a hurry up and wait situation where they're trying to get all these guys through all these different things. I had a good experience, a lot of interviews with teams. They do formal interviews that can go late into the night, if you have a bunch of them scheduled. And they do informal interviews as you're kind of walking around. You're taking the Wonderlic (test). The worst part for me was the medical, which I'm sure Tyler will be drawn through. But I think I had four MRIs. I think they spread it out a little more these days, but I remember I had those four MRIs the day before I worked out, and I missed dinner because I was in the MRI machine. I had to order room service when I got back to the hotel to try to get my belly full, then wake up early to go throw. Hopefully, Tyler doesn't get caught up in that too much. It is a whirlwind, but I'm sure he'll do really well."
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