NFL Draft 2011: Andrew Luck and the Top 10 Returning Underclassmen
The end of the college football season tends to be followed by a veritable parade of All-Americans into the NFL draft.
While there are plenty of talented underclassmen who have decided to take the early plunge in 2011, there are still many more who, for various reasons, thought better of leaving early and declared themselves eligible for one more year of college football.
Though there remain a number of juniors who may follow suit, let's have a look at the top 10 to have done so thus far.
10. Mike Adams, Offensive Tackle, Ohio State
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Kicking off the list is offensive tackle Mike Adams.
Adams was one of five Ohio State juniors suspended for the first five games of 2011 for accepting improper benefits, but was overshadowed by the fact that, well, Terrelle Pryor was also among them.
Like the rest of his sanctioned teammates, Adams decided to return for his senior year so as to partake in the Buckeye's 31-26 Sugar Bowl win over Arkansas.
That being said, Adams is a fantastic NFL prospect in his own right. At 6'8" and 300 pounds, Adams has the strength and sheer mass to be a solid tackle at the next level.
9. Dan Herron, Running Back, Ohio State
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Following Mike Adams' lead both on and off the field is Buckeyes running back Dan "Boom" Herron.
Like Adams, Herron made a commitment to return for his senior campaign as a pre-requisite for playing the Sugar Bowl.
Though "Boom" will miss nearly half the 2011 season due to suspension, he should fall right back into the starting role, especially after a productive junior season in which he compiled 1,155 yards and 16 touchdowns.
Herron may not be the biggest back around, but at 5'10" and 202 pounds, he has plenty of strength to go along with speed and lateral quickness to make him a steady 'back in the NFL.
8. Shaun Prater, Cornerback, Iowa
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Keeping things in the Big Ten, Iowa corner Shaun Prater was thought to be a solid lean to leave early for the NFL but decided instead to return to Iowa City for one more season under Kirk Ferentz.
The 5'11", 180-pounder had an excellent season in 2010, racking up 68 tackles and four interceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown, from his spot in the defensive backfield.
With one more year in college, Prater should be able to boost his stock from that of a late second- or third-rounder into that of a first-rounder, especially with next year's pool of talent likely being much shallower on defensive talent.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
7. Terrelle Pryor, Quarterback, Ohio State
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Perhaps no Big Ten returnee has a higher profile than Terrelle Pryor.
News of NCAA suspensions among Jim Tressel's players at Ohio State would not have been so earth-shattering had Pryor not been one of those struck with penalties.
After all, the former top high school prospect in the country had another solid season as a junior, throwing for 2,772 yards and 27 touchdowns while leading the Buckeyes to a win in the Sugar Bowl.
Nonetheless, the 6'6", 233-pound quarterback made an excellent decision, as he will have another half season in college to hone his skills and boost his draft stock into that of a first- or second-rounder.
6. Marvin McNutt, Wide Receiver, Iowa
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With all of these talented juniors set to return to Big Ten schools, you'd think the conference would be in for a big year in 2011.
While that may not necessarily be the case, don't blame Marvin McNutt for any Big Ten demise.
As a wide receiver for the Hawkeyes, McNutt accumulated a steady 53 catches for 861 yards and eight touchdowns.
And, at 6'4" and 215 pounds, no one would have blamed McNutt if he'd decided to take his considerable skills as a wide-out straight to the NFL.
5. Travis Lewis, Linebacker, Oklahoma
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The same could have very well been said for Oklahoma linebacker Travis Lewis.
Lewis had an incredibly productive three years in Norman, with his latest consisting of 109 tackles, two sacks and three interceptions for the Fiesta Bowl-champion Sooners.
With another year in school, the 6'2", 232-pound Lewis will have plenty of opportunity to show off his speed and hard-hitting ability while leading Bob Stoops' squad in pursuit of a BCS National Championship.
4. Ryan Broyles, Wide Receiver, Oklahoma
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The Sooners should be set on the other side of the ball as well now that Ryan Broyles is officially coming back for his senior season.
This, despite the fact that Broyles already owns just about every receiving record in school history after just three seasons.
As good as he was as a freshman and sophomore, Broyles took his game to another level in 2010, snagging 131 balls for 1,622 yards and 14 touchdowns while chipping in on kick and punt returns.
There's no doubt that there are plenty of NFL teams that would've loved to pick up the 5'11", 183-pounder in this year's draft, but they'll just have to wait until 2012.
3. Janoris Jenkins, Cornerback, Florida
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Frankly speaking, Janoris Jenkins had every reason to leave the Swamp for the League in 2011.
For one, his coach, Urban Meyer, retired after Florida's win over Penn State in the Outback Bowl, 37-24.
Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, a corner of Jenkins' size—5'11" and 184 pounds—and skills is always a wanted commodity in the NFL.
Despite those temptations, Jenkins will be returning to help Will Muschamp's Gators improve on last season's disappointing showing while prepping himself for another go at the pros in 2012.
2. Justin Blackmon, Wide Receiver, Oklahoma State
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Justin Blackmon's choice to return to Stillwater for another year may be surprising, but certainly not quite as shocking as some others.
Granted, Blackmon had an unbelievable season for Mike Gundy's resurgent Cowboys at Oklahoma State, finishing the season with obnoxiously good totals of 1,782 yards and 20 scores on 111 catches.
Then again, the 6'1", 207-pounder accrued those numbers as a red-shirt sophomore, meaning he may still be, you know, enjoying his time in college.
Or, perhaps he wants to wait for Georgia's A.J. Green and Alabama's Julio Jones to get out of the way so that he can be the first wide-receiver taken in 2012.
1. Andrew Luck, Quarterback, Stanford
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Nobody's decision to return was more stupefying, shocking, dumbfounding–you name it–than Andrew Luck's.
Fresh off an incredible season in which he led Stanford to 12 wins, the highest total in school history, while finishing second in Heisman voting by virtue of throwing for 3,338 yards and 32 touchdowns against just eight picks, Luck was an absolute lock to be the first player taken in the 2011 NFL Draft.
Then, Luck shocked the world by announcing he'd be returning to Palo Alto, even with Jim Harbaugh off to the San Francisco 49ers, to finish up his architecture degree and, maybe, enjoy some relatively carefree time as a college student.
Barring some sort of monumental collapse or catastrophic injury, Luck will be the first player taken in the 2012 draft, though the parameters of a new collective bargaining agreement would likely see him getting far less money then than he would be due this year.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
