Draft Evaluator On BYU QB Kedon Slovis: ‘His NFL Tape Is Obvious’
Jun 9, 2023, 2:07 PM
BYU quarterback Kedon Slovis received high praise from Senior Bowl Executive Director Jim Nagy. (Kristin Murphy, Deseret News)
(Kristin Murphy, Deseret News)
PROVO, Utah – The NFL community continues to keep its eyes on BYU quarterback Kedon Slovis.
Slovis, who transferred to BYU from Pitt, has the attention of Senior Bowl Executive Director Jim Nagy. On Friday, Nagy shared some of his observations on the 6-foot-3, 215-pound signal-caller on Twitter.
Kedon Slovis, who surprised us by not only going back for fifth year but also transferring from Pitt to @BYUfootball, was one of two returning QBs (along with Oregon’s Box Nix) who received @seniorbowl invites last fall.
People who claim “stats don’t lie” have no clue because… pic.twitter.com/NIT5rnkkp8
— Jim Nagy (@JimNagy_SB) June 9, 2023
“Kedon Slovis, who surprised us by not only going back for fifth year but also transferring from Pitt to [BYU football], was one of two returning QBs (along with Oregon’s Bo Nix) who received [Senior Bowl] invites last fall.
“People who claim ‘stats don’t lie’ have no clue because they do in many cases when it comes to projecting college players to NFL,” tweeted Nagy.
What the stats don’t tell on Kedon Slovis
Last year, Slovis passed for 2,397 yards, 10 touchdowns, and nine interceptions in 11 games. During the previous two years at USC, Slovis dealt with injuries.
In Slovis’ freshman year at USC in 2019, he was excellent, passing for 3,502 yards, 30 touchdowns, and only nine interceptions.
One thing stats can’t measure is coaching and personnel changes. When Slovis signed with Pitt, Mark Whipple was the offensive coordinator for the Panthers, who were ready to turn Slovis into Pitt’s next Kenny Pickett with an aggressive passing attack. Whipple was forced out, and then months later, Pitt’s star receiver Jordan Addison, bolted for USC.
The dynamic changed quite a bit for Slovis with the Panthers.
At BYU, Slovis officially committed to the Cougars last Christmas Eve. Since his pledge, the same offensive coaches, led by offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick remain intact. Then the personnel around him has only improved.
#BYU QB Kedon Slovis on his favorite parts of Aaron Roderick’s offense.#BYUfootball pic.twitter.com/5sUJNQrKO5
— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) March 7, 2023
BYU has added a pair of running backs in Aidan Robbins (UNLV) and Deion Smith (Colorado), and a handful of offensive linemen headlined by Oklahoma State starting tackle Caleb Etienne. Plus, wide receivers Darius Lassiter (Eastern Michigan) and Keelan Marion (UConn), while also keeping Kody Epps at BYU.
Slovis had an impressive spring practice that led Roderick, who isn’t known for making quarterback decisions in spring, to make it clear Slovis was BYU’s No. 1 QB heading into the Big 12.
What NFL scouts like in Slovis
Nagy continued, “Statistically, Slovis’ numbers on paper have declined in many areas (yards, comp %, TDs) since his breakout true frosh season at USC, but his NFL talent tape is obvious when you put on tape.
“[Kedon Slovis] is one of most naturally accurate passers in 2024 class. When we talk to NFL scouts they love his ball placement on midrange throws that are so critical in pro game. NFL is all about fitting ball into tight windows and Slovis has that skill.”
The midrange pass was where Slovis shined during BYU spring practice. His ball placement and accuracy were impressive. The play of Slovis had his BYU teammates saying how excited they were for he could accomplish in BYU’s offense.
Many media outlets viewed him as a lock for the top ten of the 2022 NFL draft after his sophomore season. But the buzz from media types has cooled off on the NFL hype for Slovis.
Roderick has stated in the past that he is excited about the challenge of getting Slovis to the NFL. If that happens, he would be the third consecutive starting BYU quarterback to be selected in the draft.
Nagy believes Slovis moving to BYU is a story that hasn’t been covered enough.
“[Kalani Sitake] getting Slovis to replace Vikings’ fifth-rounder & Senior Bowl alum Jaren Hall hasn’t been talked about nearly enough when it comes to best transfer portal acquisitions in CFB this offseason,” wrote Nagy.
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for sports.ksl.com and host of the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (Saturday from 12–3 p.m.) on KSL Newsradio. Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU moving to the Big 12 Conference on Twitter: @Mitch_Harper.
