College Football 2011: Which Juniors Will Leave School After the Season?
The 2011 NFL Draft featured a record number of underclassmen leaving school early, despite the lack of a CBA at this time.
While the college football talent pool appears to be a little dry at the moment, there are still some hot names who are just entering their junior seasons and therefore eligible to enter the NFL Draft after the 2011 season.
While there will be some names that appear to come out of nowhere, there are some juniors who could be a part of next year's draft at the current time.
Here are 10 of the most likely candidates to come out as juniors in the 2012 NFL Draft.
Trent Richardson, RB (Alabama)
1 of 10
With Mark Ingram off to New Orleans, Trent Richardson becomes the go-to guy for Nick Saban's offense this season.
The potential is there for Richardson to have a superstar-type season and skyrocket his draft stock.
Like Ingram, Richardson can be a threat in both the running and passing games, with six rushing TDs and four receiving TDs in 2010.
Right now, it seems like Richardson is far and away the top RB in the draft with Knile Davis possibly right behind him.
Matt Barkley, QB (USC)
2 of 10
Barkley burst onto the scene in 2009 as the first freshman in USC history to start opening day at QB.
While Barkley's yardage totals barely rose from freshman to sophomore year, his TD-to-INT ratio greatly improved, throwing 26 TDs compared to 12 INTs in 2010.
While Barkley will not be in a bowl game in 2012 due to the sanctions handed down from the Reggie Bush scandal, that doesn't mean he won't consider leaving early for a shot at a top-10 pick and a huge payday as well.
With former NFL coach Lane Kiffin tutoring him, Barkley could be eyeing the NFL as long as he continues to improve like he did in 2010.
Alshon Jeffery, WR (South Carolina)
3 of 10
Other than Oklahoma State's Justin Blackmon, there may be no other dominant WR in the country than Alshon Jeffery.
The junior nearly doubled his receptions and yardage total in 2010 when the Gamecocks made their first-ever SEC Championship appearance.
With 88 receptions for 1,517 yards and nine TDs, Jeffery—who is just shy of 240 lbs.—has great speed in a big body, which makes him an incredible physical specimen.
Like Julio Jones and A.J. Green, the debate in this upcoming draft over the top WR will be quite a divisive one between Jeffery and Blackmon.
.png?w=256)
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Justin Blackmon, WR (Oklahoma State)
4 of 10
Although Dana Holgorsen has left Stillwater for West Virginia to become the future head coach, Justin Blackmon should continue to put up dazzling numbers as he did last season.
The 2010 Biletnikoff award-winner had 111 receptions for a spectacular 1,782 yards and an eye-popping 20 TDs.
While he most likely won't be able to top his 2010 numbers, Blackmon has more than enough opportunity to have a spectacular followup in 2011 and cement his status as a top-flight WR.
His combination of great hands and quickness can make him an elite receiver at the next level, and he may take the opportunity to jump to the NFL after this season.
Vontaze Burfict, LB (Arizona State)
5 of 10
Just as this previous draft was deep on defensive linemen, this draft could be full of great LBs, especially if underclassmen like Vontaze Burfict goes pro.
The big Arizona State LB already has the size of a professional; he's just shy of 250 lbs. before his junior season.
Although Burfict has some maturity issues to overcome in his third year of collegiate football, there is no doubt he has all the physical tools to be a star LB in the NFL.
If he can harness the mental aspects of the game, he could be an amazing player and probably will be a high draft pick next year should he leave school early.
Luke Kuechly, LB (Boston College)
6 of 10
Luke Kuechly's resume after just two seasons of college football is pretty impressive: starting 25 of 26 games at LB, 2009 ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year, 2010 Nagurski Award Finalist and the runner-up for the Butkus Award.
He led the nation with 183 tackles—110 of them solo stops—and was the fastest BC player to record 200 career tackles.
Kuechly seems all but destined for a great pro career, especially considering how quickly he has adapted to the pro game.
He has tremendous instincts and athleticism to make big plays, and hopefully he can add a few pounds to handle the burden of being an NFL linebacker.
Dre Kirkpatrick, DB (Alabama)
7 of 10
After being a reserve as a freshman in 2009, Dre Kirkpatrick burst onto the scene and had a stellar sophomore season for the Crimson Tide.
Kirkpatrick is a more lengthy corner, standing at 6'3" and around 200 lbs., which is bigger than some WRs.
In 2010, Kirkpatrick had 53 tackles,—39 of them were solos—a forced fumble and three interceptions.
He has a chance to be the first corner taken in 2012 if he can improve his play across from sophomore DeMarcus Milliner.
LaMichael James, RB (Oregon)
8 of 10
The 2010 Heisman finalist proved that his first full season in 2009 was no fluke by putting up even better numbers in Chip Kelly's hyperactive offense.
James led the nation in rushing with 1,731 yards on 294 carries and had an incredible 21 TDs as the feature back in the Oregon offense.
Although his size will be an issue at the next level, his toughness and speed are undeniable, as he has such incredible drive. James can certainly be an electrifying player and a home-run threat, something that just can't be taught at any level.
Brandon Jenkins, DE (Florida State)
9 of 10
The phrase "pure pass-rusher" is one that shouldn't be thrown around lightly, but it fits Seminoles DE Brandon Jenkins perfectly.
Jenkins came out of nowhere to finish third in the country in sacks (13.5) and fourth in tackles for loss (21.5), which helped FSU to lead the country in sacks in 2010.
The first-team All-ACC DE has a great amount of athleticism, along with a fantastic motor. Jenkins compares well to Baltimore's Terrell Suggs and should be able to make an impact at the next level in either the 4-3 or the 3-4.
Andrew Luck, QB (Stanford)
10 of 10
This one's without a doubt the most obvious choice, as Luck may be the safest pick (as far as QBs are concerned) since Peyton Manning in 1998.
But it will be interesting to see what Luck can do without Jim Harbaugh as the head coach at Stanford.
Luck has already cemented his claim to the No. 1 pick in whichever draft he comes out in, but don't forget he is only a fourth-year junior, which means technically he can come back for a fifth year.
But at this point, it seems very unlikely Luck will pass this draft up like the previous one.
.png?w=480)
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
