Les Miles Comments on Leonard Fournette Testing NFL Draft Early-Entry Rule

LSU Tigers head football coach Les Miles has dismissed the notion that his superstar running back Leonard Fournette will test the NFL draft eligibility rules and risk cutting his collegiate career in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, short.

Miles spoke on the matter Wednesday night during his weekly radio show and intimated the sensational sophomore wouldn't sit out next year in a bid to go pro, as reported by ESPN.com:

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To me, there's a lot of people out there stirring the pot. Just, let's make controversy. Why not? OK? I can't imagine that Leonard would be sitting anywhere inactive for a fall. I just can't possibly imagine it.

I think there's a lot of speculation and a lot of conversation that speaks to 'what if' for someone else. ... What if he's got goals to go down as one of the greatest running backs ever? What if he really enjoys his teammates and enjoys being a part of a college atmosphere? What if he's serious about getting his degree? What if he has a financial position that offsets injury? What if -- I mean, what if, my goodness. You could 'what if' forever.

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The current rules mandate that prospective NFL draft entrants be three years removed from high school before making the leap. Some believe it'd be in Fournette's best interest to not play football as a junior to avoid the risk of injury.

Bleacher Report NFL draft expert Matt Miller explained how such a course of action could be problematic:

Fournette, who has rushed for 631 yards and eight touchdowns in only three games this season so far, has said he won't be leaving LSU in the near future, recently writing on Twitter, "I will never jump ship. ... I'm drowning with my brothers."

A cautionary tale that ought to discourage Fournette from challenging the rules involves another running back in Maurice Clarett. The former Ohio State star unsuccessfully attempted to enter the 2004 draft after being dismissed from the Buckeyes program.

Clarett's situation was different, and his legal problems created the ultimate disaster scenario. Yet it's still a past case worth paying attention to.

ESPN's Jemele Hill brought up a more recent example in 2014 No. 1 overall NFL draft pick Jadeveon Clowney:

During his last year at South Carolina, Clowney took offense to those who questioned his effort. This plays into the point Miller made about passion for football.

Even though the 6'1", 230-pound Fournette appears to be fully capable of playing on Sundays right now, he is still only 20 years old. Becoming a pro athlete and handling all that goes with it at his age would be a considerable challenge beyond the gridiron.

No matter what he decides to do for the foreseeable future, the NFL will be there for Fournette when the 2017 draft rolls around. This year's draft was the first time a running back was taken in the first round since 2012, but Fournette is the type of transcendent talent who merits an early selection on Day 1.

If Fournette can remain healthy and continue putting up monster numbers in the SEC, there's little doubt he'll be a first-round NFL draft choice in the future. The discussion will then revolve around how high he'll go.