Scouting Top Baylor QB Commit Austin Novosad
DRIPPING SPRINGS, Texas – One of most gifted signal callers in the class of 2023 hails from the state of Texas, and he has solidified his status as a top-rated passer with his stellar play. Here is a breakdown of Baylor’s future signal caller.
Austin Novosad
Size: 6’3” 185-pounds
Position: Quarterback
School: Dripping Springs (Texas) High School
Class: 2023
Recruitment
Novosad has offers from programs in Texas and most recently branching out to the West Coast. TCU, Washington State, Louisiana Tech, Kansas, Colorado, Houston, SMU, Texas Tech, Vanderbilt, Texas State, UTSA, and Rice offered. Most recently Stanford has been attempting to come into the picture, and the same with Texas A&M. Still, the only official visit that Novosad has set is Baylor for June 17.
Opening Thoughts
Novosad has the skill set that big-time college programs covet. He is long and lean with an athletic frame that can be cultivated into adding another 20 pounds of muscle with no problem. Novosad also possesses the tools to dominate a game. Novosad has next level arm talent, as well as a quick release that gives him the ability to fit the football into small windows no matter what coverage the defense lines up against him.
At Dripping Springs this past season, Novosad put up gaudy numbers. He went 208/327 with a completion percentage of 64%, 3,399 yards passing, 40 touchdowns, and only tossing nine interceptions. His QBR rating was through the roof at 126.5. Novosad faced some top competition in Texas playing in District 12-5A Division I, while also earning unanimous MVP honors on a 10-1 playoff team at Dripping Springs.
Prime Points From Novosad's Film Evaluation
When a person turns on the tape from Novosad’s fall 2021 season, his big arm is on full display. Novosad drives the football down field with elite accuracy, has superb touch on his deep ball, which allows his wideouts to easily track the football in flight as he drops it in their breadbasket. Novosad operates the run-pass option (RPO) extremely well, showing a lightning quick release and the ability to get his head around quickly and make the proper read before running or passing. That leads into one of his best attributes, hitting his intended targets from the pocket.
Accuracy and Playing in the Pocket
Novosad is uncanny with his accuracy in the short to intermediate passing game and he makes picking apart defenses look relatively easy. Novosad is cool, calm and collective in the pocket, has quiet feet, rarely becomes shaken or disturbed by the pass rush, and smoothly works multiple levels of the passing pocket like a veteran. He can also toss the ball deep as he needs to do, with the following tweet as evidence:
@Pflugerville_FA Top plays from week 5️⃣ Powered by @texpts
— PFA (@Pflugerville_FA) May 6, 2022
Play number ☝️- @Austin2novosad with a 🎯 to @Kylekoch_ for the TD#wherethebestofthebestplay #7v7football pic.twitter.com/UNtqHesnJq
When he needs to move away from the rush, Novosad can do that as well.
Extending Plays to Pass the Football
When protection breaks down, Novosad has proven that he has the athletic ability to be accurate throwing on the run and he understands how to throw his wideouts open; he throws to an open area to allow his receivers a place that only they will be able to reach the football. He’s also a player that defenses must account for when he decides to run.
A Running Threat
Novosad displays the speed to move the sticks if a defense is not careful, and sometimes he simply beats a defender to the edge and picks up first downs. When he scrambles or maneuvers during a RPO play, he keeps defenses on their heels. With his intangibles as a runner, he truly places an opposing defensive coordinator in a bind because there is no one specific way to mitigate what he’s good at doing without also opening up another opportunity for the future Baylor signal caller.
Elite 11 Invite
Novosad has punched his ticket to the Elite 11 Finals in Los Angeles this summer, a highly competitive competition that selects the top quarterbacks from around the country to compete for the honor of being the number one rated QB in the class. Novosad will be front and center at this nationally advertised camp and will show the rest of the country what scouts in Texas have had a front row seat for the last two football seasons.
Projecting Novosad’s Future at Baylor
When Novosad gets to the Baylor campus, he will be in the mix to see the field fairly early. He simply needs to become fully entrenched into the Baylor strength and conditioning program, in addition to understanding the playbook. From there, Novosad will have the ability to withstand the rigors of Big 12 play. His quarterback talents are already evident. Long term, Novosad possesses the quarterback pedigree that will keep the Bears in the running to compete for Big 12 Championships for years to come.
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