Desmond Ridder is on a stage where other quarterbacks in a Group of Five conference dream to be.
He guided the University of Cincinnati to an undefeated season, an American Athletic Conference Championship, a College Football Playoff berth, and a chance to shock the world. As a senior from Louisville, Ky., Ridder is an exceptional talent.
He is a two-time AAC Offensive Player of the Year winner. The 6-foot-4, 215-pounder will be among the players potentially taken high next April in the NFL Draft. Ridder has an explosive arm, totaling 3,190 passing yards and 30 touchdowns. He also fits the category of signal-callers that give Nick Saban-coached Alabama teams a tough time.