Carson Strong signed with Nevada as the 55th rated Pro-Style QB in the 2018 recruiting class. From what I can gather, Nevada was Strong’s only public offer. As a junior in high school, Strong threw for 2,732 yards and a 26:4 TD:INT ratio. He was under-recruited due to missing his entire senior year of high school due to a knee injury. Strong redshirted in 2018 after seeing action in just one game. In 2019, he started 10 games as an rFR and threw for 2,335 yards and 11 TDs, and completed passes at a 63.4% clip. To start 2020, Strong has thrown for over 300 yards all in four games including two 400-yard games. He had a streak of 299 passes without an interception snapped last weekend against New Mexico. That was good for the second-longest such streak in Mountain West history. He also set an MWC record with six straight 300-yard passing games dating back to last season.
Strong stands at 6’4” and 215 pounds. He possesses a solid build and still has room to develop his upper and lower body. He has a very strong arm, and he is able to throw with great zip on passes to all levels as well as launch the ball 60+ yards in the air. He’s completed a TD in each game this season over at least 50 yards. Strong has been very accurate on his deep balls to start off 2020. He isn’t afraid to stretch the defense vertically. His go-to target has been Romeo Doubs, they have dominated on deep balls over their four-game stretch. Strong throws with good anticipation, especially on his deep balls. The rSO has a quick release and gets the ball out quickly without holding onto it for too long. I don’t have numbers for how long a QB holds onto the ball, but I would imagine Strong is among the quickest in the nation. I’m not going to act like I’m a QB footwork guru, but Strong looks to have really quick and good footwork in the pocket. His feet stay aligned with his upper body and point to his target. You don’t see many bad balls leave his hands, he’s always got a tight spiral on his throws.
Right now, not much in Strong’s game leaves a bad taste in my mouth. He isn’t a runner, but he’s mobile enough to move around in the pocket and evade rushers. Strong has taken a few more sacks than I would like to see. He’s been sacked 12 times through four games. He won’t add anything on the ground for you fantasy-wise. Obviously, playing at Nevada, Strong won’t face many top-level NFL prospect defenders. That’s something I look forward to in 2021. The Wolfpack will face off with California and Kansas State in ‘21, as long as COVID doesn’t throw a wrench into scheduling one again.
Strong is in a pass-heavy offense. After four games, he’s already attempted 169 passes. Much like Washington State QBs, I believe the more passes you have under your belt in college the better for your NFL future. There’s no substitute for in-game and practice reps and reading/reacting to live defenses. I really hope Strong doesn’t take bad advice and leave early for the NFL Draft. Entering the 2022 Draft after three full years of starting, Strong could possibly work himself into first-round draft capital. His arm talent and quick decision making will make him a hot commodity.
