Matt Corral broke out in the 2021 college football season, earning second-team All-SEC honors and leading the Ole Miss Rebels to one of their best seasons in program history. For all his on-field accomplishments, it seems NFL teams aren’t sold on him personally.
The 6-foot-2 passer already entered the predraft process with many uncertain about his skill level. He benefitted from playing in a Lane Kiffin offense that schemed up everything for the quarterback, and he was rarely asked to progress through reads or operate in a pro-style structure.
It’s definitely a source of concern for teams leading into the upcoming 2022 NFL Draft. However, one NFL scout shared with Go Long’s Bob McGinn that there are some personality worries with Corral. The scout even went so far as to compare the Ole Miss quarterback to infamous NFL Draft bust Johnny Manziel.
“By far. He’s got a lot of off-the-field s--t. He’s little. He gets hurt a lot … He’s not as big of a d--khead as this guy was, but there’s a lot of Johnny Manziel to this guy. Party boy. The team likes him more than they respect who he is overall because he’s a baller on Saturday. I wouldn’t bet on that guy. He plays in a backyard football scheme and doesn’t have to do much mentally. He’s at the line of scrimmage with one read."
It’s concerning when you consider what happened with Manziel. A star in college, the former Heisman Trophy winner admitted to rarely watching film and acknowledged he didn’t work hard enough to be an NFL quarterback.
While the scout notes that Corral seems to be liked more, it’s immediately followed by the scout saying teammates at Ole Miss liked their quarterback more than they respected him. If accurate, that would prove to be a major red flag since quarterbacks are put in leadership positions and meant to provide direction on the field and in the locker room.
- Matt Corral stats: 3,349 passing yards, 20-5 TD-INT ratio, 614 rushing yards, 11 rushing touchdowns
It’s not the only concern with Corral. For a quarterback who loves to run and doesn’t shy away from hits, his 212-pound frame won’t hold up in the NFL if he maintains that style of play.
There are elements of Corral’s game to like. He offers one of the quickest releases among the 2022 quarterback class, shows excellent arm strength and there is the ability to make sharp throws to any area of the field.
He needs to land in the right offense, with quick throws a staple of the passing attack and spread elements a large part of the game plan. It’s also worth noting that he’s also drawn comparisons to Baker Mayfield. However, that career trajectory looks a lot better when the quarterback is drafted on Day 2 instead of being the first overall pick.
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