Urban Meyer Comments on Possible Underclass Combine for NFL Draft Prospects

Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer is formulating a plan with other coaches and the American Football Coaches Association that would allow college football's underclassmen, who are mostly juniors, to work out for NFL scouts without losing their NCAA eligibility, per Zac Jackson of Pro Football Talk. 

Meyer believes that these young football stars and NFL teams aren't getting proper information. For the players, it's whether to enter the draft. Those who are willing to take that leap of faith and then aren't drafted face the realization that they can't return to college on their football scholarship.  

For the teams, they aren't able to get too close to these prospects and get a full read on their potential.

"It’s not a process that’s well done right now,” Meyer said. “There’s a rule that says the NFL can’t look at juniors. Well of course the NFL [scouts] are going to look at a junior. And they should look at a junior."

Of the 12 Ohio State players selected in the 2016 draft, seven were underclassmen. A total of nine Buckeyes underclassmen declared for the draft:

Player	Position	Drafted By:	Round	Pick
Joey Bosa	DE	San Diego Chargers	1	3
Ezekiel Elliott	RB	Dallas Cowboys	1	4
Eli Apple	CB	New York Giants	1	10
Darron Lee	OLB	New York Jets	1	20
Michael Thomas	WR	New Orleans Saints	2	47
Vonn Bell	FS	New Orleans Saints	2	61
Cardale Jones	QB	Buffalo Bills	4	139
Jalin Marshall	WR	Not Selected	N/A	N/A
Tyvis Powell	FS	Not Selected	N/A	N/A

Meyer has spoken about this combine to University of Alabama head coach Nick Saban, who along with Arkansas head coach Bret Bielema expressed a desire to tap into the younger players' class back in May, via Jackson.

Meyer broke down the mission of this kind of workout session:

"

We’re going to try to get something where there’s a time those [scouts] can actually come in and they can work out the juniors. Because information is good. [The players] are getting their information somewhere, so why not get it from the experts — the scouts, the general managers, people who have the right information? They’re getting it from agents and they’re getting it from wannabes, and that’s not good information.

"

An open system that would allow this kind of event could eliminate a lot of mystery surrounding these younger players, which could cut down on potential busts.

It will give teams a chance to bring their best personnel and evaluators to formulate an opinion instead of building them off agents and people close to these prospects who are nothing more than glorified hype men. 

More importantly, it gives college players a second chance to return to college instead of risking it all for a shot at the pros that they might not be ready for.