Andrew Luck: 10 Things That Might Happen to Him, Stanford and Carolina Next Year
It's no secret now that Andrew Luck will not be taking his talents to the Queen City next year after announcing last week that he will be staying at Stanford for his senior season.
The Decision 2.0 was hailed by some as a terrific example for student-athletes everywhere while others questioned whether it was truly worth it for Luck to pass up anywhere form $40 million to $60 million with the Carolina Panthers in the NFL to instead finish up his architecture degree in Palo Alto.
No one will have a definitive answer for at least another year. In the meantime, let's have a look at 10 things, in no particular order, that may transpire between now and this time in 2012 that could affect Luck, Stanford and the Panthers.
Andrew Luck Wins The Heisman
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Perhaps playing into Andrew Luck's decision to return was his desire to have another go at the Heisman Trophy in 2011.
After all, Luck finished second in the voting in 2010 to Auburn's Cam Newton (by a mile) and would likely be among the pre-season favorites heading into the fall of 2011.
Granted, Luck has an air about him that suggests he isn't all-consumed with individual accolades, but what person, young or old, wouldn't want a chance to win arguably the most storied award in all of American sports?
Stanford Wins The Pac-12, Contends For a National Championship
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If Andrew Luck plays well enough in 2011 to earn the Heisman, he will likely have Stanford back atop the newly expanded Pac-12.
Should that be the case, the Cardinal will likely have to contend with the likes of Oregon, Arizona and Utah in their own domain, along with whoever else is still strong on the college landscape, for the BCS National Championship.
At this rate, the national title game will probably be SEC Powerhouse A, B or C vs. someone from the Pac-12 or Big Ten.
Certainly, the folks in Palo Alto wouldn't mind getting a shot at dethroning everybody's favorite conference.
Luck Goes First Overall in The 2012 NFL Draft
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If either of the previous two events come to fruition, Andrew Luck will be the first overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft.
Actually, barring any crazy, unforeseen accident or monumental decline in play, Luck will be the first player taken in next year's draft.
The kid has the size, the smarts, the attitude, the arm strength and the pocket presence, among other things, to be a fantastic NFL quarterback.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
San Francisco 49ers Select Andrew Luck in The Draft
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Now, this may be a stretch, but it's quite possible that the San Francisco 49ers could be in position to take Andrew Luck in the 2012 draft.
Whether that means with the first overall pick or with a later selection depends largely on Niners' own performance in 2011 as well as that of Luck, not to mention the needs of other NFL teams and the quality of the rest of Luck's draft class.
That being said, it would be something of a heartwarming story to see Luck reunited with Jim Harbaugh in San Francisco come 2012.
Carolina Panthers Take Blaine Gabbert Or Ryan Mallett
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In the meantime, the Carolina Panthers still have the No. 1 pick in 2011, which they could still use to select a quarterback.
At this point, the top options are Missouri's Blaine Gabbert and Arkansas' Ryan Mallett.
Both are big, pro-style quarterbacks with great arm strength and plenty of physical tools with which to work.
Mallett has the stronger arm but is considered a statue in the pocket, while Gabbert has exhibited some ability to move and throw accurately outside of the pocket.
The Panthers' choice will likely be affected by the preferences of new head coach Ron Rivera.
Then again, Carolina could very well just stick with Jimmy Clausen and hope for the best.
Panthers Fill Up On Defense, Tank For Luck Next Year
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It's also entirely possible that the Panthers, with a defensive guy like Rivera at the helm, will opt for someone like Auburn nose tackle Nick Fairley, Clemson defensive end Da'Quan Bowers or LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson.
Assuming that's the case, Rivera would likely stick with Jimmy Clausen under center, who could still turn out to be a complete bust and keep Carolina mired in mediocrity.
Should the Panthers tank in 2011 and end up with a high draft pick in 2012, like, say, the first one overall, chances are they wouldn't mind another shot at college football's newest Golden Boy.
Luck Struggles Without Harbaugh
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On the flip side, Andrew Luck could find his third year under center at Stanford to be something less than ideal.
After all, Luck will be without Jim Harbaugh, who was a star quarterback in college himself (at Michigan) and played an integral part in grooming Luck to be a standout at Stanford.
Whoever takes over in Palo Alto will have the task, both delightful and daunting, of helping Luck to improve his game even further.
Injuries Ravage Luck's Stanford Swan Song
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Even if Luck doesn't fall victim to poor play, he will still be subject to injury on just about every play.
It doesn't take a rocket scientist or an orthopedic surgeon to figure out that football is a dangerous sport, in which a player's physical viability is at risk at any given moment.
And though quarterbacks do typically get special protection because of the frailty of the position, Luck could very well be done in at some point during the season.
Not likely for his career, but perhaps for a few games, enough to leave NFL scouts wondering whether he will hold up in the pros and his teammates hoping he will return before the team takes a nose dive.
'Furd Fails To Keep Up in The Pac-12
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In essence, however Andrew Luck goes, so goes Stanford next season.
It's really that simple.
As such, if Luck struggles without Harbaugh to help him, the Cardinal will be due for a dive, in a newly expanded conference, no less.
And, with Oregon returning LaMichael James and Darron Thomas, Arizona looking to improve and Utah primed to join the Pac-12 as one of the conference's top teams, Stanford will be hard-pressed to hang with the best of them if Luck can't do the job again.
Luck's Draft Stock Takes a Dive
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A chance to be the first player taken in the NFL Draft is a dangerous thing to pass up, as one can never be sure if it will ever come around again.
That being said, if Andrew Luck performs in 2011 in any way similar to how he did in 2010, he will be the No. 1 overall pick in 2011.
But, college football is just so unpredictable, almost as unpredictable as draft evaluations.
If Luck were to do anything negative in the eyes of scouts next season, whether it be succumb to injury or perform poorly without Harbaugh behind him, he could very well find himself looking up at several players being taken ahead of him in 2012.
As big of a financial hit as Luck would already be taking by being the first-overall pick in 2012 as opposed to the top draftee this year, imagine how much worse that would look for him were he to fall from the top.
At least he'd have Jake Locker and Matt Leinart as similar company.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
