Bengals interested in South Dakota State QB Chris Oladokun, per report

Will the Cincinnati Bengals select a quarterback in the NFL Draft? Probably not, but there’s always a chance one gets signed as a college free agent.

That guy could be Chris Oladokun, who’s piqued the Bengals’ interest as well as several other teams during the pre-draft process, per NFL insider Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network.

Oladokun spent the 2021 season with South Dakota State, but the Tampa, Florida native started his college career in his hometown with South Florida. After redshirting in 2016, he backed up former Bengal Quinton Flowers in 2017 and started a handful of games in 2018. He transferred to Samford in 2019 and led the team in rushing touchdowns as the starting quarterback.

Due to COVID-19, Samford’s 2020 season was pushed to the Spring of 2021, and Oladokun was the starter for just one game before he was demoted. He finished the shortened schedule as the backup before transferring to South Dakota State. In 15 starts, he threw for 3,164 yards and 25 touchdowns with a completion percentage of 62.3%.

Oladokun did enough as a sixth-year senior to garner an invite to the NFLPA Bowl, but he did not attend the Scouting Combine. At his pro day, he ran a 4.70 40-yard dash after measuring in at 6-1 and 213 pounds.

At 24 years of age, Oladokun looks to enter the NFL with plenty of experience, a strong arm, and ample athleticism. For the Bengals, he could take reps behind backups Brandon Allen and Jake Browning during the offseason and compete for a practice squad spot.