Most of the 2017 NFL draft talk has centered around guys like Deshone Kizer and Deshaun Watson. Maybe it’s time to give Patrick Mahomes some love.
The young man has made a name for himself in a big way at Texas Tech, leading one of the most dynamic and explosive offenses in college football. He’s got plenty of size at 6’3″, can run well enough to pick up yards at will and features a live arm that can fire the ball 60-70 yards down the field in the air. Best of all he throws with accuracy too and is a diehard competitor who doesn’t like losing.
That was on display in a major showdown with Oklahoma. Texas Tech was coming off its worst loss of the season against West Virginia. Mahomes had been nursing a shoulder problem the past few weeks that affected the way he threw. Word was though he’d begun practicing again and was feeling much better.
Boy oh boy did it ever show. Mahomes didn’t just play well in the game. He made college football history. By the time the dust had settled he accounted for 819 total yards with seven touchdowns (5 passing, 2 rushing). It was an incredible performance against what is supposedly one of the top programs in the nation.
It shattered NCAA records. Yet Mahomes wasn’t allowed to enjoy the performance. The Red Raiders still somehow lost the game 66-59. It was another reminder of how appallingly inadequate the program is in terms of overall talent and just how much they lean on Mahomes for any success at all. If anything that ironically helps him in terms of his NFL draft stock. Teams will know he can put up numbers. All he’d need is an actual defense to compliment him in order to win.
Either way it’s important give this young quarterback his due. He’s battled through injuries and having no supporting cast to become one of the most productive players in college football history.