Philadelphia Eagles QB Carson Strong鈥檚 rise to success
RENO, Nev. (BVM) — Entering the NFL Draft as a junior in college is quite the risk, but for Carson Strong of the University of Nevada, it was a risk well worth taking.聽
Strong began his career as a quarterback for Nevada in 2018 after great success in high school. After a knee injury set him back his senior year, most universities did not want to take a risk on someone like Strong 鈥� but not Nevada. During a basketball tournament in Reno, Strong visited Nevada where he was offered a football scholarship right then and there.聽
He graduated from Will C. Wood High School in Vacaville, CA a semester early to be able to play for the Wolf Pack. During the 2018 season, Strong red-shirted, but in 2019, he came out fighting for the Wolf Pack.聽
As a freshman, Strong was Nevada鈥檚 starting quarterback 鈥� the first freshman to start in 21 years. He soon became one the of the greatest athletes the program has ever seen, leading the Wolf Pack to victory after victory. He was named one of the Newcomers of the Year in 2019, propelling him to further succeed the next season.
In his next few seasons at UNR, Strong excelled on the field. He won Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year and was selected for the All–Mountain West first team two years in a row (2020 and 2021). During the 2020 season, Strong threw for 300 yards five times and even posted two 400–yard games. During the 2021 season, Strong led the conference in touchdown passes and passing yards. He also posted a career–high completion percentage of 80.3%. He set several records for the Wolf Pack that season for single–season passing touchdowns and single–season completions.聽
Instead of choosing to spend his senior year dominating the Mountain West Conference yet again, Strong decided to take the risk of entering the NFL Draft. Coming into the 2022 NFL Draft, Strong seemed like a good candidate and received a positive response from the NFL community.聽
Strong has a great arm and is able to navigate in the pocket well. He has the ability to change up the speed at which he throws the ball which gives him an advantage over the defense. He is great at understanding plays and communicating with his teammates.
Because of Strong鈥檚 talent on the field, he has a good possibility of being a very reliable back-up quarterback in the upcoming seasons, but some doubt his abilities due to his previous knee injury.聽
Strong鈥檚 knee injury presented a risk that many teams weren鈥檛 willing to take. This, along with the options of many other capable athletes did not bode well for Strong. He was not drafted.聽
All was not lost for Strong. The Eagles quickly picked him up with a $300,000 base salary guarantee, giving Strong the opportunity to prove his talents now on a much bigger stage.
