Mason Rudolph Dishes on Doubters, Big 12 Defenses and Being a ‘System QB’

The NFL Combine is next week and several former Cowboys are poised to try and increase their stock for the upcoming draft. Through all the rankings, scrutiny and guesswork that comes with #DraftSeason, none are more polarizing to those outside of the OSU fanbase than Mason Rudolph.

The Rockhill product who recently packed up all of his belongings — and most of Oklahoma State’s football records — onto a U-Haul spoke with Bleacher Report about his career, his draft stock and the buzz surrounding him.

You should read the full piece but I’ve highlight some of good stuff.

When asked about the report from anonymous scout that he had a weak arm.

My immediate reaction? I definitely believe I have one of the strongest arms in the class. All you have to do is watch my tape and see my downfield throws and intermediate routes. Obviously, I feel just a little different there.

Rudolph went on about the “system QB label”.

I’ve been tagged with the system label for a long time now. If you watch the film, I was asked to throw the ball in ways that marry up with NFL concepts. Did we run a lot of RPOs on first and second down? Yes. That’s the system I was asked to run and did so to the best of my ability. My production increased in each of the past three seasons and won a lot of ballgames along the way.

Again, you can only control what you can control. I was doubted and under-recruited coming out of high school. People at LSU, Tennessee and North Carolina thought I was a second-tier guy. I’m sure, if you asked those guys now, they wished they had taken me.

On the reputation of playing against Big 12 defenses.

I hear about how these Big 12 defenses only play quarters coverage and make life easier on the quarterback. Yes, most Big 12 defenses did play quarters. But I also played against teams from different conferences like Colorado, Virginia Tech and Washington, who we beat the crap out of in bowl games, that ran different schemes.

On his ability to make decisions at the line.

As far as control at the line of scrimmage, our center was a four-year starter and made the preliminary “Mike” point, but I was able to trump the center at any time presnap. If I saw a safety rotation to stack right or left, I’d call “easy” and we’d go check rip [right], liz [left] or whatnot. I had the ability to do that as well as checking routes and concepts based on certain coverage looks. If I saw Cover 0 or 1 and wanted to look off the safety to throw a 25-yard fade route to James Washington—a route we were extremely successful and efficient running—I had the ability to do that.

On whether he’s the best QB in the class.

I know that’s what everyone wants to ask. I couldn’t care less about anyone else but myself. Once I get on a team, it’ll be all about the team. Right now, it’s all preparing myself for the next chapter of my life and making sure I maximize my potential, leadership skills, on-the-field skills and football IQ.

I don’t care about comparisons when I’m trying to put my best foot forward.