10 Teams That Stand to Lose the Most Underclassmen to the 2017 NFL Draft
College football’s postseason is here. Bowl season kicked off Saturday with five games and will roll on until the College Football Playoff crowns its third champion on Monday, January 9. While there will be plenty of excitement on the field, an equally important process will play out away from it.
As teams wrap up their seasons, speculation will increase regarding early entries into the 2017 NFL draft. Players are already making draft declarations, and more will follow as bowl season plays out. Which teams will suffer the heaviest losses from early departures? Here’s a look at the 10 teams that could feel the biggest hits.
Alabama
1 of 10
Under Nick Saban’s watch, Alabama never rebuilds. The Crimson Tide simply loads and reloads, the product of excellent, relentless recruiting year after year after year. Alabama is two wins away from its fifth national title in Saban’s tenure, because it consistently has one of the nation’s most talented rosters.
When players graduate and/or leave for the NFL, younger players step forward to flash their talents and keep the Tide rolling. That has been the case again this season, as Alabama is the only unbeaten team in the College Football Playoff. While senior defensive end Jonathan Allen made the most of a return to college football, becoming one of the game’s top defensive linemen and a surefire early first-round pick, Alabama should have a few players test the draft waters.
Junior defensive tackle Da’Shawn Hand has an NFL-ready body at 6’4”, 280 pounds, although he didn’t fully break through in his third season on campus, making 19 tackles with 3.5 tackles for loss and two sacks.
The son of former Alabama legend and NFL tailback Bobby Humphrey, cornerback Marlon Humphrey is writing his own legacy in Tuscaloosa. Humphrey is a redshirt sophomore but is draft-eligible this season. He has been quietly excellent this fall, making two interceptions with 33 tackles and four pass breakups while starting every game. Humphrey could return for more seasoning or could be a prized draft selection if he wants to leave.
Junior offensive tackle Cam Robinson has been a rock of the Tide offensive line from the moment he walked on campus. He has started every game of his collegiate career and was a unanimous All-American this fall. Robinson is one of college football’s top offensive linemen, and it would be a surprise to see him return to college next fall.
Clemson
2 of 10
Dabo Swinney is building one of the nation’s premier programs in Clemson. The Tigers have won at least 10 games for six consecutive seasons and backed up last year’s national runner-up finish with another College Football Playoff berth, facing off in the Fiesta Bowl against Ohio State.
Clemson’s offense is again one of college football’s best and full of NFL-ready talent. And Coach Swinney knows it. When the Tigers held their Senior Day, four juniors (tailback Wayne Gallman, receiver Artavis Scott, quarterback Deshaun Watson and receiver Mike Williams) all took part in ceremonies with their older teammates.
"Those guys indicated to me back in the summer that this was going to be it for them," Swinney told reporters. "They were going to graduate in December, and their plan was to be a senior. They're more seniors than some of the seniors."
It was a not-so-tacit acknowledgement that none of the quartet are likely to return to Clemson next fall. Watson was the Heisman Trophy runner-up and a likely early-round selection after passing for 3,914 yards with 37 touchdowns against 15 interceptions and adding 529 rushing yards and six scores. Williams recovered from a neck injury that ended his 2015 season in the opener by making 84 catches for 1,171 yards and 10 scores. And Scott was a top threat as well, making 71 catches for 592 yards and five scores.
Meanwhile, Gallman backed up a stellar sophomore season by rushing for 1,002 yards and 15 touchdowns. All four players are likely additions to NFL rosters next fall, while Clemson hopes to roll on without them.
Florida
3 of 10
Florida limps into the Outback Bowl vs. Iowa at 8-4, following lopsided losses to Florida State and Alabama. But the Gators won another SEC East championship in Jim McElwain’s second season, and they have a nasty defense to thank.
Junior cornerback Teez Tabor looks poised to follow former teammate Vernon Hargreaves III into the NFL ranks. He had 32 tackles, four interceptions and broke up five passes as a shutdown corner. Beside him, fellow corner Quincy Wilson had 31 tackles, three interceptions and six pass breakups.
Defensive tackle Caleb Brantley was tough to stop in the interior. He had 8.5 tackles for loss and consistently demanded extra attention from opposing offensive lines. That’s a highly prized commodity in the NFL.
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LSU
4 of 10
When LSU fired Les Miles after four games and a 2-2 record, there was a sense that the Tigers were severely underachieving. Ed Orgeron squeezed plenty out of his new team as interim coach, winning five of seven games and earning the job full-time.
Having plenty of talent to work with certainly helped. Powerful tailback Leonard Fournette was limited by leg injuries, rushing for 843 yards and eight scores, but he has already declared for the draft and won’t play in LSU’s bowl game, Orgeron told reporters.
Junior safety Jamal Adams is a hard hitter who piled up 70 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss and an interception as one of the nation’s top safeties. Junior defensive tackle Davon Godchaux racked up 58 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks as a potent force on the defensive line’s interior. LSU struggled to pass consistently, but junior Malachi Dupre was the leading receiver, making 34 catches for 454 yards and three touchdowns.
Miami
5 of 10
Mark Richt’s first season as Miami head coach was streaky to say the least. The Hurricanes started 4-0, lost four consecutive games and then finished the season with a four-game win streak to finish 8-4 and earn a Russell Athletic Bowl date with West Virginia. Al Golden didn’t leave the cupboard bare in Coral Gables, and there is NFL-ready talent on offense.
Start with junior quarterback Brad Kaaya. Kaaya has great skills for a pro-style offense and had a good year, finishing with 3,250 yards passing and 23 touchdowns against seven interceptions. He was protected well by junior center Nick Linder, who stands 6’3”, 305 pounds.
One of the most intriguing prospects on the offense is redshirt sophomore tight end David Njoku. He was a bonafide threat in the passing game, making 38 catches for 654 yards and seven touchdowns. Could both he and Kaaya bolt Miami together? We’ll see.
Ohio State
6 of 10
Last winter, Ohio State took a serious hit from the NFL draft. Twelve Buckeyes were drafted, including nine underclassmen. It’s a testament to Urban Meyer’s recruiting and program-building that OSU will again have a serious presence in the 2017 draft. That’s how talented the Buckeye roster really is.
Junior Curtis Samuel is one of the game’s most versatile threats, rushing for 704 yards and eight touchdowns and leading the team with 65 catches for 822 yards and seven scores. Junior quarterback J.T Barrett also had an excellent year, throwing for 2,428 yards with 24 touchdowns against five interceptions and adding 847 rushing yards and nine scores. Is this his swan song in Columbus?
Junior middle linebacker Raekwon McMillan has been a star, making 87 tackles, eight tackles for loss and two sacks this fall. Behind him, an excellent secondary could lose multiple starters.
Safety Malik Hooker has six interceptions, returning three for touchdowns, and also has 67 tackles and five tackles for loss. Corners Gareon Conley and Marshon Lattimore have also been integral to the unit’s success.
Defensive end Tyquan Lewis is one of the best pass rushers in the Big Ten, with 27 tackles, 10 tackles for loss and 7.5 quarterback sacks. And across the line, junior guard Billy Price was a first-team All-American, per the American Football Coaches’ Association, and earned five second-team A-A honors. Both could shore up NFL lines that need impact players.
Oklahoma
7 of 10
Oklahoma had a great follow-up to its 2015 College Football Playoff appearance. The Sooners went 10-2 and won another Big 12 title but narrowly missed another playoff trip. OU had a pair of Heisman Trophy finalists in junior quarterback Baker Mayfield and senior receiver Dede Westbrook, but Mayfield has already indicated he’ll return for his senior season.
Following an October concussion, defensive tackle Charles Walker, a legit NFL prospect, stepped away from the team to concentrate on the draft and should be selected. Cornerback Jordan Thomas was a shutdown presence, making 44 tackles and an interception, as well as 16 pass breakups.
Friday’s release of a disturbing video of third-year sophomore tailback Joe Mixon’s 2014 assault of a female Oklahoma student raised eyebrows across the nation, but there’s no disputing his talent. Mixon averages 195.6 all-purpose yards per game, second-best nationally, and has rushed for 1,183 yards with eight touchdowns as well as 32 receptions for 449 yards and five scores.
Junior backfield mate Samaje Perine rushed for 974 yards with 11 touchdowns despite missing three games with injury; he is a powerful runner who could certainly attract some attention from NFL teams.
Oregon
8 of 10
For Oregon, it was a season to forget. Two years after finishing as the national runner-up, the Ducks bottomed out at 4-8. Coach Mark Helfrich was fired and replaced by South Florida’s Willie Taggart. However, Oregon should still make an impact in the 2017 NFL draft.
Tailback Royce Freeman dropped off after an excellent sophomore season, going from 1,836 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns to 945 yards and nine scores, but remains a powerful backfield force. Speedy receiver Darren Carrington II worked with a pair of starting quarterbacks but still had 43 catches for 606 yards and five touchdowns. Both players could potentially choose the professional ranks over starting over as seniors with a new coaching staff.
Stanford
9 of 10
Stanford slipped a bit following an outstanding 2015 season, but the Cardinal remains one win away from yet another 10-win season under David Shaw’s watch. Stanford can hit that mark with a Sun Bowl win over North Carolina, and Shaw still has plenty of talent on hand.
Junior do-everything back Christian McCaffrey has already declared for the NFL draft following this season, as he told Tom FitzGerald of the San Francisco Chronicle.
“I just think I’m ready,” he said. “My body is in the position it needs to be in to go out there and compete at the next level. ... Since I was 6 years old, I wanted to be an NFL player.”
The 2015 Heisman Trophy runner-up missed multiple games with injuries but still put together some impressive stats. He led the Pac-12 with 1,603 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns and added 37 catches for 310 yards and three scores through the air. He leads the nation with 211.6 all-purpose yards per game.
Meanwhile, junior defensive end Solomon Thomas was named as the Pac-12’s top defensive lineman following a standout season. He had 55 tackles, 13 tackles for loss and seven sacks, numbers that will catch the attention of NFL teams. Junior right tackle Casey Tucker missed time with injuries and shifted from the left to right sides of the line but has potential and an impressive 6’6”, 305-pound frame that will hold up in the pro game.
Washington
10 of 10
Chris Petersen’s third season with Washington was one to remember. The Huskies went from a popular sleeper pick to a College Football Playoff team, winning the Pac-12 title and making the College Football Playoff, albeit with a tough Peach Bowl assignment vs. Alabama.
They did so with a stellar defense and a talented offense, both of which will receive attention from NFL scouts. Junior safety Budda Baker emerged as one of the nation’s top defensive backs, making 65 tackles, nine for loss, with a pair of interceptions.
Junior cornerback Sidney Jones teamed with Baker to form one of the nation’s best secondaries. He made 37 tackles with three interceptions and six pass breakups and will get attention from NFL front offices.
Junior defensive tackle Elijah Qualls stepped forward as one of the top defensive linemen in the Pac-12, earning first-team All-Pac-12 honors. He has 32 tackles, five tackles for loss and three sacks.
Meanwhile, junior receiver John Ross returned from a knee injury that cost him the 2015 season and became Jake Browning’s top target, making 76 catches for 1,122 yards and 17 touchdowns. He has excellent deep speed and would be an excellent addition to many passing games.
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