As the 2017 NFL Draft approaches, I wanted to bring back my collection of “Path to the Draft” posts, where I analyze each NFL hopeful from Baylor. Last year I wrote about quite a few of Baylor’s most promising candidates and this season’s players are just as talented.
Seth Russell is the Baylor QB who could have been…legendary. I’ve praised Russell’s skill set as equal to former great Nick Florence, as you can see from his vertical featured above. Russell sat out his first two seasons at Baylor, having minimal playing time as he backed up Bryce Petty. As a redshirt freshman, Russell completed 26 of 43 passes for 427 yards, three TDs and three INTs with 24 carries for 147 yards and three TDs. He doubled his stats as a sophomore, completing 48 of 85 attempts for 804 yards, eight TDs and one INT with 32 carries for 185 yards and three TDs.
Russell’s impeccabile junior season included All-Big 12 honorable mentions while becoming a finalist for the Davey O’Brien award. The season that could have been featured a remarkably strong and intelligent Russell leading the Bears to a No. 2 national ranking midseason. In just the first seven games of the 2015 season, Russell totaled 119 of 200 passes for 2,104 yards, 29 TDs and six INTs with 49 carries for 402 yards and six TDs. Russell’s incredible speed and agility made him one of the nation’s best football players. Had he not broken his neck against Iowa State, Russell could have led the Bears to a national championship. But let’s not dwell on the past too much…
In his senior season, Russell tried to get back what he lost in 2015. He completed 152 of 278 pass attempts for 2,126 yards, 20 TDs and eight INTs with 94 carries for 506 yards and eight TDs. Once again, Russell injured himself at the worst possible time. However, his career-long 89-yard pass and his leap over a UT defender engraved his greatness in stone.
Russell is an extremely versatile QB who has the classic build for the job. He’s extremely quick in the brain and on the feet; he knows exactly when a play needs to be adjusted and will bootleg when he needs to. Russell is a team leader and has always been a pillar of light for Baylor football. He will be a phenomenal addition to any NFL team that needs a strong dual threat QB.
