Biggest Surprises to Spurn the NFL for Another Year in CFB
The 2024 NFL draft is just a few months away. But since the hard deadline for players to declare was Jan. 16, we know which guys decided to pass up the NFL and come back to play college football for at least one more season.
Unlike last year, there aren't too many surprises, but there are some players who unexpectedly announced their returns.
For this exercise, we'll focus on highly touted players who would've likely been drafted. Some of them were even projected to be picked quite high, too.
Let's run through the biggest surprises to spurn the NFL and return to play college football for 2024.
Ohio State is Bringing Back a Ton of Talent
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The Buckeyes typically produce tons of NFL draft talent every year. Although this was expected to still be the case heading into 2024, it looks like head coach Ryan Day is bringing some star players back for 2024.
Although wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. declared as expected, the Ohio State offense will benefit from getting wideout Emeka Egbuka back. Egbuka finished 2023 with 41 receptions for 515 yards and four touchdowns. He was a 1,000-yard receiver in 2022, and he will be OSU's new No. 1 receiver with Harrison departing for the league.
Ohio State's offense also returns running back TreVeyon Henderson. Although Henderson was ranked by CBS Sports as the No. 2 running back for 2024, he announced his intention to return on Friday via his Instagram. He'll be joined in the backfield by Ole Miss transfer Quinshon Judkins in 2024. With his addition, Ohio State may have one of the more loaded running back rooms in the country next season.
On defense, star defensive end J.T. Tuimoloau is also returning for 2024. The Buckeyes edge-rusher was ranked 34th overall on B/R's big board, finishing 2023 with 38 total tackles and seven for loss.
Cornerback Denzel Burke, ranked No. 20 overall by B/R, is also returning next season. He led Ohio State's secondary with nine passes defended, including 24 tackles and an interception. Also back is linebacker Jack Sawyer, who was tied for first on the team in tackles for loss with 10 in 2023, including 6.5 sacks.
It's safe to say Ohio State may be a new favorite to win the Big Ten with the talent it has coming back in 2024.
Quarterback Cameron Ward
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Signal-caller Cameron Ward's journey to ultimately land with the Miami Hurricanes was an interesting one. The former Washington State quarterback initially entered the transfer portal on Dec. 1. Although Ward took visits to both Florida State and Miami in mid-December, he ultimately declared for the 2024 NFL draft on Jan. 1.
But there was a caveat—since Ward did not hire an agent after declaring, he was able to maintain his collegiate eligibility. Roughly two weeks after entering his name into the 2024 draft, Ward ultimately transferred to Miami.
"Ever since I declared, I haven't gotten a lot of sleep," Ward said via 247Sports. "It's always been in the back of mind, creeping up there. I feel like it's a win-win situation. I can go (to Miami) behind a great head coach, great offensive coordinator in a great offense, I feel like I can improve my stock even more. There were a lot of things coming into the picture. But I love playing college football, and I feel like there's just more left on the table for me."
Ward is coming off of two sensational seasons at Washington State, accounting for 6,969 yards and 48 touchdowns with 16 interceptions. He had 13 rushing touchdowns over the past two seasons, as well. He started his college career at Incarnate Word before taking his talents to Pullman.
At Miami, Ward should be the front-runner for the starting quarterback job. The Canes added Albany transfer Reese Poffenbarger last week, but there's no question Ward has more big-time experience. In 2024, Miami will be replacing three-year starter Tyler Van Dyke, who has since transferred to Wisconsin.
Some Other Big-Name Quarterbacks Will Also Return in 2024
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There aren't as many signal-callers returning this year as we saw in 2023, but there were a few surprise names to return. Texas will get Quinn Ewers back in 2024, despite coming off of his best season in Austin. He finished 2023 with 3,479 yards passing with 22 touchdowns and just six interceptions. He helped lead Texas to a Big 12 conference title and Sugar Bowl playoff berth, as well.
Despite losing his top two weapons in wide receiver Ladd McConkey and tight end Brock Bowers, Georgia quarterback Carson Beck will return for 2024. He had a great 2023 campaign in his first season as a starter, finishing with 3,941 yards and 24 touchdowns with just six interceptions. We'll see if he can have an even bigger year with a full season running the offense under his belt.
Returning for a sixth college football season in 2024, quarterback Dillon Gabriel will be at Oregon. Tasked with replacing two-year starter Bo Nix, Gabriel is coming off the best season of his career at Oklahoma. He finished with 3,660 yards passing with 30 touchdowns and six interceptions. He rushed for a career-high 373 yards and 12 touchdowns, as well. Prior to transferring to Oklahoma, Gabriel played three seasons at UCF.
Ole Miss starting quarterback Jaxson Dart is also returning next season, as well as Colorado signal-caller Shedeur Sanders. Both are transfer-portal products, as Dart started at USC before transferring to Oxford, and Sanders followed his dad, Deion, from Jackson State.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Linebacker Smael Mondon Jr.
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The Georgia Bulldogs will benefit from getting linebacker Smael Mondon Jr. back in 2024. Mondon was second on the team in total tackles last season with 68, including three sacks. He made 11 starts for the Dawgs this season and earned All-SEC honors.
Mondon suffered a foot injury last spring that caused him to miss fall camp leading up to last season. Although he was limited in the season-opener against Tennessee-Martin, he finished as one of the leaders on Georgia's defense.
CBS Sports ranks Mondon as the No. 3 linebacker in the 2024 NFL draft class. His return is likely welcomed by head coach Kirby Smart, since the Dawgs have suffered several losses on defense.
The list includes cornerback Kamari Lassiter, safety Javon Bullard and safety Tykee Smith—all of whom are going to the NFL draft. Georgia also lost linebackers Marvin Jones Jr. and Xavian Sorey to the transfer portal.
Receiver Antwane 'Juice' Wells
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South Carolina receiver Antwane "Juice" Wells has had a great career so far. He started his career at James Madison in 2020, making four starts as a true freshman for the Dukes. Per his Gamecocks bio, Wells led the team in receptions, yards and touchdowns while helping JMU to a 7-1 record during the shortened COVID-19 season.
In 2021 at JMU, he finished with 83 receptions for 1,250 yards and 15 touchdowns, which set single-season records for both receiving yards and scores. After transferring to South Carolina, he finished 2022 as the Gamecocks' leading receiver, getting 68 receptions for 928 yards and six touchdowns.
2023 wasn't nearly as productive for Wells as his previous seasons. He dealt with a foot injury for the majority of the season and played in just three games for South Carolina. He finished with just three receptions for 37 yards and a touchdown.
Wells entered the transfer portal following his 2023 season. He ultimately landed with Lane Kiffin at Ole Miss, which has a stacked roster heading into 2023. Wells could potentially have his most productive season yet with the Rebels in 2024.
Linbacker Barrett Carter
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Next season, Clemson will be looking to get back to the College Football Playoff for the first time since 2020. The Tigers will get some help in their pursuit of the CFP with the return of linebacker Barrett Carter.
Carter, the No. 1 linebacker prospect for 2024 per CBS Sports, finished second in tackles for Clemson last season. He had 62 total stops, including 9.5 for loss and 3.5 sacks. His best season came in 2022, when he recorded 73 total tackles and 10.5 for loss. He's had three interceptions during his career, too.
"I felt like I had some unfinished business here," Carter said last month of his decision to return. Felt like I left a lot of meat on the bone this past year. I came here to win a national championship. ... I love this university, I love this team and I love these people, I couldn't leave yet."
Here's B/R's scouting department on areas where Carter could improve defensively:
"Carter's run defense is a big work in progress. His subpar instincts can put him in bad positions to take on blocks, and he will often leave his gap open. He also needs to get stronger to take on blocks from offensive linemen. While he has shown the ability to slip blocks with his athleticism, he gets swallowed up by blockers who are athletic or more measured when working to the second level."
The Clemson linebacker's return next season will likely boost his draft stock even higher if he can have repeat his recent performances.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
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