Cardale Jones Returns to Ohio State: Latest Details and Reaction

Ohio State quarterback Cardale Jones has decided against making the NFL jump and will instead stay with the Buckeyes for his junior campaign, which further clouds his team's quarterback outlook for the 2015 season.

ESPN's Adam Schefter had the news:

Jones was blunt about how easy his decision was, via Zac Jackson of Fox Sports:

On a lighter note, Jones' press conference had teammates giving him a hard time (via ESPN's Adam Rittenberg). 

Jones replied on Friday, Jan. 16, saying the press conference wasn't his idea (per CBS Sports' Jerry Hinnen):

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"For one, me personally, it wasn't my idea," Jones said. "Holding a press conference, and all eyes on me, me being the center of attention, I'm not that type of guy. Period. That wasn't something I put together."

"I thought it wasn't a big deal," he continued, "but Coach [Urban] Meyer, he let me know 'everything you do now will be a big deal because of the spotlight that you're in.'"

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Back during the summer, it seemed Jones was a long shot to receive serious playing time this season. Ohio State had both Braxton Miller and J.T. Barrett ahead of him on the depth chart. The third-string option also had a lack of experience given his limited snaps as a redshirt freshman.

The story began to change once Miller was ruled out for the year in August due to a shoulder injury, which moved Jones into the more crucial backup role. After he watched Barrett shine for most of the season, a broken ankle suffered by the dynamic freshman against Michigan thrust Jones into the spotlight.

There were then questions about whether the Buckeyes deserved a spot in the inaugural College Football Playoff with Jones leading the offense. He responded by leading Ohio State to a 59-0 victory over Wisconsin in the Big Ten title game, locking up that coveted berth.

He then helped lead Ohio State to an even bigger shocker as it knocked off highly touted Alabama in the semifinals. That's when the draft talk started to pick up steam.

Afterward, he explained to Brian Bennett of ESPN.com how he could step into such an important situation and handle it so well, especially when the Buckeyes fell behind.

"I have no clue," Jones said. "I think I'm just naturally a calm person. I never get too excited or too down. I never started pressing when we were down two scores."

Jason McIntyre of The Big Lead added some early scout takes to the conversation:

Jones followed up his Sugar Bowl performance by helping lead Ohio State to the national title with another strong showing against Oregon in the College Football Playoff National Championship. It capped a surprising run for both Jones and the Buckeyes.

The sudden star wasn't prepared to make a final decision in the aftermath of that win. Heather Dinich of ESPN.com noted his comments about not being completely sure he was ready to make the jump, ahead of a meeting with head coach Urban Meyer.

"In my personal opinion, I'm not ready for that level yet," Jones said. "I mean, like Coach Meyer said, it's a conversation me and him will have later down the road. But to me right now, it's far out."

Once the hoopla died down a little bit, he made his decision.

Even though there was some upside to going pro now, Jones opted for a return to Ohio State. Now the question is how soon he can get back into the lineup to further bolster his draft stock. It's something that may not be known until next summer or beyond.

That said, making the jump would have also presented major risk. Teams haven't gotten much of a chance to see him perform. Three games along with some other limited snaps is nothing compared to other players with multiple years of game tape for scouts to analyze.

So if he had entered the draft process and proceeded to struggle, he could have been in line for a major drop. Should that have happened, the already tough path to success in the NFL would have gained a few extra hurdles.

He returns to the Buckeyes, who have a potentially tricky situation to sort out under center. By the time the summer rolls around, all three of Miller, Barrett and Jones should be healthy and ready to roll. If all of them are still on the roster by that point, it would be quite a battle for the top spot on the depth chart.

Sometimes the decision for an underclassman is clear-cut. Given the number of variables in play here, that clearly wasn't the case for Jones. There were serious potential downfalls on both sides of the debate, and he had to make a relatively quick call.

At this point, it's impossible to know if he made the right decision. Going back to Ohio State represented the safer option at a time when a perfect one was seemingly unavailable.

He took it, and he'll soon discover how it plays out.