CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - NOVEMBER 27: A detailed photo of a Denver Broncos helmet during their game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium on November 27, 2022 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
Identifying a college quarterback who can succeed at the professional level is akin to navigating an unpredictable maze.
According to a recent article in The Athletic, a prominent sports agency for NFL players and draft prospects is advising their college clients against taking the S2 cognition test, which replaced the Wonderlic exam two years ago. This recommendation comes after leaked scores from last spring revealed vastly different results for quarterbacks Bryce Young and CJ Stroud, with Young scoring near-perfectly at 98% and Stroud registering a significantly lower score of 18%. Surprisingly, their performances in their rookie NFL seasons in 2023 contradicted these test results, as Young struggled with a 2-14 record as a starter while Stroud led his team to the playoffs.
The email sent from the Athletes First sports agency to coaches highlighted concerns about the lack of confidentiality with these tests, as evidenced by the public leak of results. The agency emphasized that it is unfair for a player’s intelligence and mental abilities to be scrutinized and ridiculed publicly, especially considering that no other job interview undergoes such scrutiny.
Currently, 15 teams utilize the S2 test, which was introduced in 2016 to assess players’ split-second information processing and response time on the field. Unlike the Wonderlic test, which evaluates reasoning and problem-solving in daily life, or the Athletic Intelligence Quotient test, which measures decision-making and spatial awareness, the S2 evaluation specifically focuses on how players think during gameplay.
The S2 test was co-founded in 2014 by two neuroscientists and former college athletes and gained attention when Patrick Mahomes emerged as one of the top performers in 2017. Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper, a hedge fund billionaire, is a staunch supporter of the test’s scientific basis, which influenced his controversial decision to select Young as the No. 1 overall pick last year over Stroud.
