Michael

Pratt

Pratt was waived Tuesday despite being a sixth-round selection by the Packers this spring and playing well in the preseason for Green Bay. The 22-year-old will start the year as the third quarterback behind Baker Mayfield and Kyle Trask. That’s also likely where he’ll finish it.

Clifford was the backup to Jordan Love last year, but Michael Pratt has given Clifford a run during the summer, and both quarterbacks rotated throughout the game. The 26-year-old started out as poorly as possible while completed just 1-of-7 passes for 13 yards, and Pratt looked the part while leading the Packers on a couple scoring drives. Clifford was much better in the second half, however, and Pratt threw a pick and briefly had to go to the medical tent after attempting to make a tackle in frustration. Both signal-callers had their moments in this one, but it seems likely that Clifford will begin the year as the backup quarterback.

Pratt (6’2/217) saw a significant amount of playing time during his four years at Tulane. As a true freshman, Pratt started nine games and threw for 1,806-20-8, and finished his career with a line of 9,611-90-26 in 46 games. A high rate of fumbles and sacks are two concerning marks on his resumé, but his experience and accuracy – particularly over the last two years – are promising. He could eventually earn a spot as a backup but may need to spend ample time on a practice squad before getting that chance. The Packers will give him time to develop behind Jordan Love to start his career.

Pratt (6'2/205) isn’t getting much buzz ahead of the 2022 season after he suffered behind a subpar offensive line with an incredibly thin supporting cast last season, but the individual talent in his game is apparent to those who get into the film and go beyond the stat line while considering the circumstances. It’s because of that Pratt was recently named to the Maxwell Award preseason watch list. The honor is presented annually to the best player in college football.

Pratt (6'2/205) hasn’t received a lot of national attention ahead of the 2022 season, but is a dark horse candidate to be one of the best in the nation this year. Crissy Froyd of Sports Illustrated and NBC Sports EDGE recently pinned Pratt as a player to watch: “Looking at the film, he’s got a bit of Tyler Van Dyke to his game -- a comparison that’s certainly a positive one considering the Miami quarterback is largely projected to be a first-rounder in April. Pratt seems to be mentally further along than a lot of other quarterbacks with his same experience level in taking what the defense gives him and delivering an accurate ball at all levels of the field even in the face of pressure (which he was frequently subjected to) and has a good foundation to develop off of as potentially one of the most underrated quarterbacks in college football.”

Pratt (6'2/205) is flying under-the-radar after a 2021 season in which he showed flashes and might have been even more successful in if he had better protection and a more talented supporting cast. He completed roughly 58% of his passes for 2,381 yards with 21 touchdowns and eight interceptions, adding eight scores on the ground. But he’s made the top-15 in several QB watch lists ahead of the season and could build upon that in 2022. It likely won’t be wise for Pratt to enter the 2023 NFL Draft with the amount of depth and big names at the position like Alabama’s Bryce Young and Ohio State’s CJ Stroud, but come 2024, he could be a more talked-about name ahead of the event.

Pratt (6'2/205) was not very accurate in the contest, completing just 44 percent of his passes against a pretty good Memphis secondary. He had his moments on the ground though, as Pratt opened up the scoring on the day with a 14-yard scramble for a touchdown. While there wasn’t much success to be had through the air, the Green Wave averaged 6.9 yards per carry while racking up 305 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. He found Deuce Watts for a 21-yard scoring strike on his lone touchdown pass, but it was too little too late at that point late in the fourth quarter. Pratt finishes his 2021 season with 2,391 passing yards, 21 touchdowns and eight interceptions to go with 154 yards and five touchdowns rushing.

Pratt (6'2/205) got Tulane off to a hot start in this one, throwing touchdowns of nine and 30 yards to wide receiver Cameron Carroll and tight end Tyrick James in the first quarter, as the Wave went into the second quarter with a 28-7 lead over USF. Pratt then connected with wide receiver Jaetavian Toles in the second quarter on a 48-yard yard touchdown, to put Tulane up 35-7 in a game they dominated from start to finish. Pratt wouldn’t throw another touchdown in this one, as he and Tulane had the game well in-hand all afternoon. Now at 2-9, Tulane will close out its season next Saturday at Memphis.

It’s been tough for Pratt this year, but how he continues to get back up and play, he deserves some credit. The Green Wave offensive line has been horrendous this season as Pratt has been sacked 21 times. It was a little better tonight with only one sack, but Tulane still did not get much going for most of this game. The highlight of his performance came when he was able to find time and air one out to Phat Watts for the 49-yard touchdown. The Green Wave were able to manage a 10-point comeback to send this game tied at 13 into overtime, but Tulsa would win it with a touchdown in overtime. Tulane (1-9, AAC 0-6) will take on USF next Saturday.

Pratt’s (6'2"/205) return didn’t go quite as planned, as he and the rest of the Green Wave struggled sustain and finish drives. Penalties, sacks and negative plays kept backing them up, even when they would make some progress. Pratt was much better in the second half, leading two scoring drives but it wasn’t enough. Most of the passes were short passes or screens, and the offense never really opened up besides a few decent gains. Pratt and the offense will need a much better performance to take on Tulsa next Saturday.