2014 NFL Draft Profile: Cincinnati Bearcats Quarterback Brendon Kay
By Chris Bains
Dec 28, 2013; Charlotte, NC, USA; Cincinnati Bearcats quarterback Brendon Kay (11) looks to pass the ball during the second quarter against the North Carolina Tar Heels at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
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SEASON REVIEW
Cincinnati Bearcats quarterback Brendon Kay didn’t start the 2013 season as UC’s starting quarterback but when Munchie Legaux went down in the second game of the season played admirably down the stretch. The senior completed 66% of his passes while throwing for almost 3,300 and 22 touchdowns last season. He had one of the best quarterback ratings of any AAC quarterback in 2013. What dogged him were the interceptions. Kay threw 12 of them last year. Only Rutgers’ Gary Nova threw more. His 22/12 touchdown-to-interception ratio is concerning as he approaches the NFL Draft.
STRENGTHS
- Leadership
- Accuracy
- Size and strength
As a sixth year senior, Brendon Kay commanded respect from not only his teammates but Cincinnati’s coaches. He is a field general every offensive coordinator dreams of with his ability to focus the players around him and get the job done. Kay also displayed this leadership by battling through injuries late in the season and still nearly guiding the Bearcats to a conference championship.
Additionally Kay displays exceptional accuracy when he is able to step in the pocket and deliver a pass. He completed 83 passes of 15 or more yards in 2013, the second most in the AAC. When given time to through, Kay has remarkable touch on the deep ball that allows him to take the top off of defenses with ease. Somehow he just knows how to lay the ball right in the hands of his receivers when they are running in stride with the flick of a wrist. Combine that with his size and strength and you have yourself quarterback with impressive tools to mold at the next level.
WEAKNESSES
- Injury prone
- Jekyll and Hyde mentally
What plaguing Brendon Kay this past season and the season before that and the season before that and the 3 seasons before that are injuries. The Cincinnati quarterback was a 6th year senior because of that lingering issue. He was redshirted his freshman year due to a knee injury. It flared up more than a few times throughout his career. This season Kay suffered from a sore shoulder that continuously aggravated him and impeded his performance, especially in the Belk Bowl.
Those injury problems could potentially be linked to Kay’s second major weakness, his mental inconsistency this year. That’s not to say he’s “unstable” in the head. That’s not it at all. But for whatever reason Kay would go through lapses where he seemed to completely forget the fundamentals, not read his check downs, and make a horrible decision with the football. Case in point both of his redzone interceptions against the Miami Redhawks as well as several instances against North Carolina. Kay has all the physical tools to carve up a defense but his inconsistency on a play-to-play basis hurt the Bearcats this season.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Brendon Kay performed well in 2013 considering he and his teammates were tasked at executing a brand new offense for the first third of the season. When the change over was made following the South Florida loss, he really began to shine. But injuries caught up to him late and he finished the year with forgettable game against North Carolina in the Belk Bowl.
Overall, I don’t think the UC quarterback gets drafted this weekend. Kay did a lot of nice things in 2013 and won a lot of games for Cincinnati. However his 2-to-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio is underwhelming. As Bearcat Journal’s Tim Adams mentioned, it really needs to be up in the 3-to-1 or 4-to-1 range for him to get serious looks from NFL teams. Unfortunately it isn’t and as such Kay will probably have to hope for an invite to a NFL camp to make his way onto a roster.
HIGHLIGHTS
Here’s some.
Here’s several more.