Cardale Jones' Championship Highlights, Comments and 2015 NFL Draft Predictions

After leading Ohio State to a national championship victory in just his third career start, redshirt sophomore quarterback Cardale Jones is suddenly the most intriguing commodity in college football.

With both Braxton Miller and J.T. Barrett out for the season, Jones was pressed into action for the Buckeyes in the Big Ten Championship Game against Wisconsin. All he did was lead OSU to a 59-0 win before beating Alabama in the Sugar Bowl and Oregon in the title game.

Jones played well in all three of his starts, and he made history in the process, according to ESPN Stats & Info:

There is no question Jones was aided by the play of sophomore running back Ezekiel Elliott, who rushed for 220 or more yards in each of Ohio State's final three games, but he played extremely well under center in his own right.

Jones was especially impressive at throwing the deep ball, which he did often against the Ducks. The 6'5", 250-pound native of Cleveland threw for 242 yards, one touchdown and one interception in the College Football Playoff National Championship, adding 38 yards and another score on the ground.

On the heels of such a shockingly strong finish to the season, there are now some questions regarding the possibility of Jones entering the 2015 NFL draft. 

With Barrett coming back and Miller potentially returning if he decides against transferring, it isn't outside the realm of possibility that Jones could start 2015 as a third-string quarterback for the Buckeyes.

Following Ohio State's huge victory, Jones was noncommittal about his NFL future, per Ari Wasserman of Northeast Ohio Media Group:

"

It's definitely a "who knows" right now. It's up in the air sort of because my No. 1 priority is to graduate from the Ohio State University and walking away with something that nobody can take away from me. Football definitely has a timetable on it, but my degree is hands down one of the most important things to me.

"

That is an admirable line of thinking; however, Jones' NFL stock may never be higher. He has all the physical tools teams look for in a franchise quarterback, and it really isn't possible for him to improve upon what he has already accomplished.

ESPN's Rene Ingoglia is among those who believe Jones would be wise to forgo his junior and senior seasons in favor of the draft:

It remains to be seen whether Jones feels the same way, but even he has admitted he may need more development before making the leap, according to NFL.com's Bryan Fischer:

Per Bruce Feldman of Fox Sports, at least one NFL scout agrees that Jones should return to school:

Aside from Oregon's Marcus Mariota, should he declare, and Florida State's Jameis Winston, it can be argued that there isn't another potential franchise quarterback in the 2015 NFL draft class.

That may prove enticing for Jones, but his comments seem to suggest he is leaning toward returning to school.

If that is the case, then the quarterback battle between Jones, Barrett and possibly even Miller will be the most intriguing storyline in college football this coming spring.

Jones may have a leg up on the others because he is a national champion, but he will undoubtedly be taking a big risk if he decides to put the NFL on hold.

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