Jack Strand is trending on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday.
If his name isn’t all that familiar with you, that’s fair. He’s not a household quarterback, by any means.
Strand, though, could actually matter to the Atlanta Falcons at some point this season.
And with the way Falcons QBs seem to be getting injured, it could even be sooner rather than later.
Michael Penix has already been deemed not ready for Week 1. Now, Tua Tagovailoa seems to be dealing with a back problem.
That leaves Cooper Rush, the veteran backup, and Strand, who is way more mysterious but also way more intriguing.
Who Is Jack Strand?
Strand is a 22-year old quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons.
He looks the part, standing 6-foot-5 and 243 pounds with notable muscles, which you can see in the picture atop this article.
Strand grew up in the state of Wisconsin and ended up heading to play college football at a Division II school: Minnesota State-Moorhead, known as the Dragons.
Strand broke into the starting lineup for the Dragons midway through his freshman season and never looked back.
In his sophomore year, he threw for 36 touchdowns and broke the school’s single-season records for attempts, completions, yards (3,914) and TDs.
As a junior, Strand threw for another 3,421 yards and 32 touchdowns.
Strand saved his best for last, when he was a Division II First-Team All-American.
His senior stats included 3,546 passing yards and 42 touchdowns. He had a game in which he threw seven touchdowns, and he placed fourth in voting for the Harlon Hill Trophy (the D-II Heisman equivalent).
Strand ranks top-10 all-time in Division II in passing yards, attempts and completions.
He measured 6-foot-3 and 243 pounds at his Pro Day and ran a 4.78-second 40-yard dash.
The Falcons brought him aboard as an undrafted free agent, and he looked awesome in the preseason — going 24-for-36 for 305 yards and a score while also running for 29 yards and two more TDs.
Atlanta may not have expected to keep Strand on the 53-man roster, but they didn’t have a choice. With the way he performed, another team likely would’ve tried to claim him if the Falcons tried to sneak him onto the practice squad.
Cooper Rush Vs. Jack Strand
It seems improbable that, if faced with a Rush vs. Strand decision for Week 1, that the Falcons would choose the undrafted rookie.
But if they can get Strand up to speed as the year goes along, it wouldn’t be crazy to think that he could eventually leapfrog Rush — and if the lefty QBs in Atlanta can’t stay healthy, maybe Strand gets a start later in the year.
He certainly doesn’t seem like your average undrafted quarterback, and it likely was at least somewhat of a choice that Strand stayed at the D-II level rather than moving up.
The kid can clearly play. At some point, the Falcons may find out just how good he is.
Who Is Jack Strand? Falcons’ QB Trends Amid Injury Worries