For many 25-year-olds, a job interview might involve them looking for a new opportunity, or perhaps a step up the corporate ladder.
For Louisville quarterback Tyler Shough, his run through the long and strange process that is the NFL Draft, described as many as the world’s oddest job interview, is a matter of him looking for his first.
Shough spent seven years in college, beginning his collegiate journey as a backup at Oregon, where he spent his first three seasons. He then transferred to Texas Tech and ultimately Louisville, where his final season of college football has put him firmly in the discussion as a potential first-round selection.
Even if the quarterback he backed up at Oregon, Justin Herbert, is less than two years older than him despite having a wealth of NFL experience under his belt.
“I feel like I check a lot of those boxes for teams,” Shough said of his age and injury history when meeting with the media at the NFL Scouting Combine. I think, if anything, it’s helped me out.”
Let’s dive into that long road to the NFL Draft for the Louisville product, before outlining why he still might hear his name called on Thursday night.
Tyler Shough’s long road to the NFL Draft
During his recruiting cycle, Shough was considered a four-star recruit and ranked as the No. Considered one of the top pro-style quarterbacks in the 2018 Recruiting Class, Shough entertained offers from several top programs, including Georgia and Alabama. He saw significant action in Oregon’s blowout win over Nevada, where he completed 8-of-9 passes for 92 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
The Athletic did a deep dive into his extended action that Saturday, which you can dive into here.
Eventually, Herbert found his way to the Los Angeles Chargers, and Shough entered the 2020 season as the anointed starting quarterback.
Then, the world changed.
The global COVID-19 pandemic saw the Pac-12 wait to begin play until November, using a shortened schedule. Shough guided the Ducks to a win in their season opener over Stanford, and Oregon began the year with three consecutive wins. But he reinjured the collarbone in Week 1.
He did not return until late October, but was the team’s starting quarterback down the stretch, and completed 24-of-39 passes for 242 yards, a touchdown, and an interception in Texas Tech’s 42-25 win over Mississippi in the Texas Bowl.
“I had a broken left collarbone in 2021 that I didn’t get surgery on, and then the first time I got hit again, it broke. Once I got surgery, I was back running quarterback counter and power, and it hasn’t affected me since,” said Shough at the Combine.
2023 was supposed to be different for Shough, but it was unfortunately more of the same. On the next snap, Shough dropped to throw and looked to roll that ankle again after throwing a pass, and dropped to the turf.
He stayed down and was eventually carted off with an air cast around his lower left leg. He had broken his fibula.
“Then I got hip dropped in 2023. There wasn’t really anything I could do to prevent it, but if anything, like I said before, it kind of helped me out mentally, and how to be a coach, and add value off the field and still try and be a leader,” described Shough at the Combine.
Shough’s season was over. He had six years of college football under his belt, but again he was looking for a new home.
Shough eventually found that, transferring to Louisville to play under Jeff Brohm. But at the time Shough signed with the Cardinals, there were already questions about signing a quarterback with that injury history and six years of college football under their belt.
Brohm dismissed those as “unlucky times,” before praising Shough’s talent.
“We studied exactly what they were,” Brohm said in February of 2024. And, when he’s played, he’s played well, so those are all great elements to add to your football team.”
Brohm’s words seem prophetic now.
Shough’s final year in college — and his only year at Louisville — was the season he put all of his promise and potential together. He completed 62.7% of his passes for 3,195 yards and 23 touchdowns, against just six interceptions. His status as an older prospect — he would turn 30 during his fifth NFL season — coupled with that injury history has created some questions.
But Shough thinks how he has handled his long road speaks volumes.
“I think just the combination of what I’ve gone through mentally and experience-wise, and then my physical tools,” he said at the Combine. So I feel like there’s a lot of untapped potential for me. I feel like the sky’s the limit.
“I think what has happened in my past has only gave me that passion to keep going further. It lit this little fire underneath me, that I want to go out there and prove myself right: that I am one of the one of the best guys. I feel like I have a high floor, but I have an even higher ceiling.”
Why Tyler Shough might still be a first-round pick
Even with this extensive injury history, and his “advanced” age as a prospect, Shough is discussed as a potential first-round selection.
Why?
Part of it is the need for and importance of, the quarterback position around the league. While Louisville did not use Shough much as a runner, he still can beat pressure in the pocket a few different ways. On this play against SMU, Shough evades pressure by first climbing the pocket and then rolling to his right. He keeps his eyes downfield, and delivers a deep throw on a corner route that turns into an 86-yard touchdown:
Then there is this play, that will absolutely be featured when Shough is drafted. Facing pressure against SMU in the low red zone, he escapes the pocket to his left, but finds a way to drop his arm angle while rolling to the left to make this throw:
There are different ways quarterbacks can avoid pressure, whether through athleticism or adjusting their arm angle, and Shough has shown the ability to do both.
“I think I can get it done in multiple ways,” Shough said in Indianapolis. “Obviously, I was running a lot more designed quarterback runs at Texas Tech, and that just wasn’t part of the offense at Louisville. I think I excelled in both ways, whether that’s extending plays with my feet, or creating plays and getting those those first downs, and getting down.”
Are these traits enough to overlook that age and injury history?
In this draft cycle, they just might be.,
