Austin Reed, QB Western Kentucky: 2024 NFL Draft Profile

Reed was a recruit from St. Augustine High School in St. Augustine, Fla. in the class of 2018

Western Kentucky Hilltoppers quarterback Austin Reed received transfer offers from Power Five programs this past spring. He chose to finish his college career with Western Kentucky. Reed projects as a mid-Day 3 selection in the 2024 NFL Draft.

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Austin Reed, QB Western Kentucky: 2024 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Redshirt senior quarterback from St. Augustine Beach, Fla.

Background: Reed was a recruit from St. Augustine High School in St. Augustine, Fla. in the class of 2018. He didn’t receive national ratings from 247Sports, Rivals, On3.com, or ESPN. Reed redshirted at Southern Illinois in 2018 before transferring to the University of West Florida for the 2019 season. He transferred from UWF to Western Kentucky for the 2022 season. Reed passed for 2,925 yards and 34 touchdowns as a high school senior. The Florida Athletic Coaches Association named him the 2017 Class 6A Player of the Year. Reed earned First Team All-District honors from the Florida Athletic Coaches Association and was the offensive MVP of the North vs. South All-Star Classic game. He was born on Feb. 22, 2000.

Injuries & Off-Field: N/A

Awards: 2019 Second Team All-GSC, 2019 GSC Offensive Freshman of the Year, 2019 Don Hansen Football Gazette National Freshman of the Year, 2021 First Team All-GSC, 2021 GSC Offensive Player of the Year, 2022 Second Team All-Conference USA, 2022 Conference USA Newcomer of the Year, 2022 New Orleans Bowl MVP

Pros: Proven career progression, low time to throw, production at all levels of the field, keeps feet active, steps up to avoid pass rush, quick release, soft touch to the intermediate level, excellent sticking the ball between the defense’s second and third layer, 50-yard throw against Austin Peay (2022), nice zip when he steps into throws, velocity to hit tight windows at the intermediate level, dots up receivers along the sideline, many different pitch speeds, enough mobility to roll out, move the pocket, and scramble when needed

Cons: Age, competition level, offense with only some pro-style tendencies, lots of half-field and single route reads, high number of manufactured plays and screens, passing numbers padded by YAC, throwing motion is slightly delayed at the start because of a wind up, doesn’t use a variety of arm angles or slots, arm strength seems like a limiting factor on deep throws, leaves deep passes short, throws some wobbly passes while falling away, throws from an inconsistent base at times which limits accuracy and velocity, throws off his lead foot at an odd angle, decision-making wavers under pressure, fades away when faced with pressure, doesn’t throw with anticipation, doesn’t lead receivers consistently, ball placement, throws to spots and trusts his receivers to make plays, stares down targets, occasional tunnel vision limits ability to see open throwing lanes, late finding open receivers on extended reads, not a danger to gash defenses with his legs regularly

Overview: Reed rose through the college ranks after not receiving much attention early in his career. He had the opportunity to transfer to a Power Five program this past spring but decided to remain at Western Kentucky instead. Reed demonstrated clear progress during his multi-year developmental pathway. He is productive at all levels of the field and keeps his feet active in the pocket without getting toesy. Reed steps up in the pocket to avoid the pass rush and fires the ball with a quick release. His throwing motion is slightly delayed because of an extended windup. The Florida native applies a soft touch on throws to the intermediate level and excels at sticking the ball between the defense’s second and third layers. He doesn’t have infinite arm strength. Longer throws require more space for Reed to add an extra hop in his motion, but he delivered a 50-yard bomb against Austin Peay (2022). Reed puts nice zip on the ball when he steps into throws and has the velocity to hit tight windows at the intermediate level. He occasionally dots up receivers along the sideline by firing the ball on a rope. Reed’s arsenal doesn’t include many arm angles or slots, but he offers plenty of pitch speeds. The redshirt senior lacks the speed to gash defenses for large chunks of yardage but has enough mobility to roll out, move the pocket, and take off for the first down when needed. Reed is an older player who hasn’t consistently faced Power Five competition. Western Kentucky’s offense offers only some pro-style tendencies and features plenty of schemed touches, half-field and single route reads, and opportunities to pad yardage on short throws. Reed has a bad habit of throwing from an inconsistent base, which limits his accuracy and velocity. He throws while fading away, which contributes to him leaving deep passes short. Reed’s lead foot is frequently at an odd angle with his weight poorly distributed. The All-Conference selection’s decision-making wavers under pressure. He threw across his body on first and goal in the red zone leading to an interception against Indiana (2022) because of pressure. Reed doesn’t throw with anticipation or consistently lead receivers away from danger. His ball placement is inconsistent at best. Reed throws to spots and trusts his receivers to make plays instead of firing with precision. He stares down targets and gets tunnel vision, which limits his ability to discover open receivers and throwing lanes. Reed is late finding open receivers on extended reads and will need to adapt to the processing requirements of the pro game.

Overall, Reed utilizes his underrated mobility and throwing velocity to expose and puncture defenses at the intermediate level, but he lacks the ball placement, footwork, and processing speed of a top 100 prospect. Reed’s projection suffers from the scheme he plays in, but the redshirt senior’s accuracy, mechanics, and decision-making are questionable regardless of scheme.

Role & Scheme Fit: Backup in a West Coast offense that runs wide zone

Round Projection: Late Fifth to Early Sixth

Size: 6'2", 230 lbs. (Unofficial)

Submitted: 06-12-23