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Mason Rudolph: OSU ‘Beat the Crap Out Of’ Highly-Touted Non-Big 12 Defenses

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Mason Rudolph peered down over a microphone at this past weekend’s NFL Scouting Combine and gave a smirk or two. He wasn’t brash or even snippy but the record-setting QB, who has been known as a quiet leader throughout his college career, was outspoken and confident as he posited himself as one of the top QB prospects in the class.

Rudolph fielded questions and addressed concerns ranging from the type of system he captained in Stillwater these last three years, to his under-the-radar status in contrast to the Sam Darnolds, Joshes (Rosen and Allen) and even Baker Mayfields of the world.

He even got an obligatory Mike Gundy mullet query.

While some of what he had to say was predictably rehearsed and coached, I thought a lot of it — even the rehearsed and coached portion — came off pretty genuine.

Here are some of highlights.

Rudolph was asked what his strengths are as a QB, and he didn’t shy away from boasting the fact the he was the trigger man in the most prolific deep-threat duo in college football this past year.

“Strengths? I’d say my ability to throw the ball down the field,” Rudolph said. “I think I’ve done it accurately, at a high level for three years. My production, my leadership, my experience, my starts — 32 wins as a starter —  just the kind of teammate I am. A fun guy to be around, enjoy being part of the team, putting the team first and competing my butt off.”

On several “spread” offense QBs being drafted in recent years, and if that paves the way for guys like him.

“You’ve seen ‘spread’ (using 9 1/8-inch air quotes) quarterbacks come into the league the last five years and they’ve ended up being pretty successful at the next level and I think you’re definitely starting to see more of those concepts, the high-tempo type offenses, NFL teams adopting more of that philosophy …

“I can only control what I can control. Whatever organization I get to, whatever playbook, whatever offense they run, I’ll be excited to learn and to begin to master (it).”

Rudolph was asked how RPO-heavy the playbook was at Oklahoma State.

“You’re always weary of getting a lineman downfield penalty but we never ran into that much at all at Oklahoma State,” said Rudolph. “I thought we ran RPOs the best in the country the way were able to read first-, second- and third-level defenders, using off-the-ball tight end …

“I definitely think you’re seeing that, especially with the Eagles, those types of teams that began to implement those systems but for us that was really only a first-, second-down call. We had a lot of drop-back, traditional progression reads that we carried out on third down. We were very effective in RPOs but it was a small portion of our offense.”

On the stigma of playing against Big 12 defenses with DBs which were referred to as “statues” in the secondary. He side-stepped that pressure, stepped forward in the pocket and delivered a dig at some of the vaunted defenses he’s taken advantage of during his career.

“Well, we played Colorado, Washington, and Virginia Tech, and we beat the crap out of all of them in (bowl games). Those aren’t Big 12 defenses, and we played pretty well against those guys. So you throw on that tape, and I think that’ll kill that argument right there.”

All three were highly-touted units that boasted future NFL talent in the secondary. Washington’s 2014 team had three defensive players drafted in the first round. Colorado’s 2016 team had three secondary players drafted in the first four rounds in the 2017 NFL Draft.

“Yeah, I think with everyone, they’re trying to pick up on your football IQ, the way you come across to people in a room. The kind of person you are, the kind of leader you are, what you’ve done of the field. All of that in one. It’s been fun to see each team’s strategy, trying to peel back your layers.”

Rudolph is not just the shy kid from Rockhill. He’s older, more accomplished and, while he’s one of the more polarizing QBs on the board according to #DraftTwitter/ He’s confident in what he brings and where he stands among his peers.

“I’m confident in who I am,” said Rudolph. “I’m not one for comparisons. I don’t care about who the media is talking about. I think when you talk to the actual decision makers in the NFL, they would have a different viewpoint of myself than maybe (what) you guys do.

“But I can only control what I can control and I know I’m going to go our there Saturday and perform well and then move to the pro day March 15.”

Let’s cut the tension with, what else?, maybe his walk-off Gundy mullet question.

“I told him (Gundy) he needs to cut the mullet off now that I’m gone,” Rudolph joked. “It was kind of our deal, so we lived that out. No, he was an unbelievable coach, somebody who played at the same school.

“A lot of knowledge, a lot of off-the-field advice for how to be a quarterback in Stillwater and how to command yourself and the type of leader you want to be. So somebody that I have in contact with almost every day since I left and someone I’ll stay in touch with forever.”

Check out the full media session below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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