2012 NFL Draft: 10 College Players Who Haven't Declared, but Should

As the college bowl season winds down, one of the toughest decisions facing talented, young college football players is whether or not to forgo their senior year and enter the 2012 NFL Draft. The allure of millions of dollars is placed squarely against loyalty to friends, teammates and the university at which they've spent the last few years of their lives.

For many players, the decision comes down to weighing where they are projected to be drafted against what can be gained from staying in school for another season.

Given that scale, here are 10 underclassmen whom have not yet declared for the 2012 NFL Draft, but should.

Morris Claiborne, CB, LSU

Claiborne is a key component of one of the best defenses in college football history. LSU, despite lacking a high-powered offense, is in the national title game, mostly because their defense is simply so dominant.

Opposing offenses learned long ago that throwing in Claiborne's direction was foolish. As a sophomore, the 6'1", 185-lb cornerback recorded five interceptions and displayed an ability to completely shut down opposing wide receivers on his way to second-team All-SEC honors.

In 2011, Claiborne was even better, recording six interceptions and returning one for a score, on his way to earning the 2011 Jim Thorpe Award, given annually to the nation's best defensive back.

Given the shift in focus of NFL offenses from the run to the pass, teams are beginning to place more and more value on the cornerback position. A shutdown corner has become a prized commodity and Claiborne has the potential to become one at the next level. Following his personal successes in 2011, and the Tigers success as a team, there is little left for the corner to accomplish in college.

He will be a first-round pick, without a doubt, and should soon declare himself eligible for the draft.

Alshon Jeffery, WR, South Carolina

Alshon Jeffery is exhibit A in the case for leaving school early, before factors beyond the control of the player affect his draft position.

At the end of the 2010 season, Jeffery was a Biletnikoff Award finalist, an annual award given to the best wide receiver in college football, and an All-American. In 2011, he was named the best overall player in the SEC in a preseason poll on ESPN.com.

Then came the 2011 season. Jeffery's quarterback at South Carolina, Stephen Garcia, was kicked off the team early in the season, and opposing defenses focused heavily on taking Jeffery out of the picture. His statistics were unimpressive in 2011 and he was unable to garner any consideration for postseason awards.

If there is a bright side, it's that scouts can see that Jeffery is still immensely talented and despite his 2011 campaign, he will still likely be a high draft choice, albeit not as high as he would have been one year ago (given the NFL's age requirements, Jeffery was not eligible to enter the 2011 NFL Draft). At 6'4", 233 lbs, teams are salivating over Jeffery's size, speed and pass-catching ability.

He must enter the draft this season before another year like 2011 forces him further down the draft board.

Jarvis Jones, LB, Georgia

Despite having completed just his sophomore season, Jarvis Jones is eligible to enter to 2012 NFL Draft as he is three years removed from high school, having transferred from Southern California to Georgia after his freshman season.

Jones lit the SEC on fire this season after sitting out last year in accordance with NCAA transfer rules. His 13.5 sacks ranked second nationally, he had 19.5 tackles for loss and led the Bulldogs with 69 tackles as he garnered first-team All-America honors.

Jones' size (6'3", 241 lbs) and athleticism (he was also a recruit in basketball coming out of high school), make him a great fit for NFL defenses. Given the accolades he earned this season, he would surely be a first-round pick in the 2012 NFL Draft.

Despite only playing two seasons in college, Jones should enter the 2012 NFL Draft because there is not much left for him to accomplish at the college level. He would be risking career-ending injury for little gain on the draft boards if he were to stay in school.

Matt Kalil, OT, USC

Matt Kalil is one of those players who is in a no-brainer situation when it comes to leaving school early for the 2012 NFL Draft. Most experts currently project Kalil being drafted within the first three picks of this year's draft.

Kalil, whose brother Ryan is already in the NFL with the Carolina Panthers, is the type of offensive lineman that coaches dream of. He has the potential to be an anchor at the tackle position, which many coaches will tell you is one of the most important positions on the field.

Kalil has the size (6'7", 295 lbs) and speed needed to block the NFL's best pass-rushers. He has kept Matt Barkley clean for years and even held the left tackle position, protecting Barkley's blind side, over former USC right tackle and 2011 Dallas Cowboys first-round pick, Tyron Smith. In 2011, Kalil was as dominant as could be, allowing zero sacks.

Few teams would pass up on a talent like Kalil, he is certainly in line for a big payday if he declares this year.

Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama

Trent Richardson is one of those players that you could swear have been in college forever, yet he only just completed his junior season.

The 2011 SEC Offensive Player of the Year and Heisman finalist seems like he has been at Alabama forever because he has been a major contributor from the start, running for 751 yards as a freshman. In the 2010 BCS National Championship at the end of his freshman year, Richardson posted 109 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

He hasn't looked back since and, in his first season as Alabama's feature back, he racked up over 1,500 yards rushing and 20 touchdowns on his way to first-team All-America status and the Doak Walker Award, given annually to college football's best running back.

Richardson is a ridiculous combination of size (5'11", 224 lbs), speed and agility. He is durable and elusive, something not often seen in the same sentence.

He will surely be a first-round pick in the 2012 NFL Draft if he chooses to enter, which, given the number of carries he has had at Alabama and given the short life-span of running backs in football, would certainly be within his best interest.

Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma St.

There is no way around it, Justin Blackmon is the best receiver in college football.

Blackmon ran roughshod over the competition this year, and given Oklahoma State's schedule, that was no easy task. The junior wide receiver, who won the Biletnikoff Award in 2010, outdid himself in 2011, with 113 receptions for over 1,300 yards and 15 touchdowns despite the constant attention that being last year's Biletnikoff Award winner attracts from defenses.

His performance earned him a second Biletnikoff Award in 2011, as well as first-team All-America recognition.

Blackmon has all but declared for the draft at this point, even going as far as to be honored on Senior Night in Stillwater. Nonetheless, until he does, he belongs on this list.

At the next level, Blackmon will be more physical than his ex-Cowboy teammate and current Dallas Cowboy Dez Bryant. He projects to be better than Bryant right out of the gates given his ability to out-muscle defensive backs.

Whomever Blackmon ends up with in the NFL, provided he has even a half-decent quarterback, he should be able to make an instant impact. His skills are that freakish.

Bernard Pierce, RB, Temple

Bernard Pierce is the best running back in college football that you've never heard of, unless you follow the MAC closely or live in the Philadelphia region.

Pierce has been a major part of Temple University's turnaround in football, putting up big numbers since the day he first put on a Temple uniform. In 2011, Pierce managed 1,381 yards on 248 carries, a 5.6 yards per carry average and 25 touchdowns in an offense that had virtually no passing game whatsoever.

Facing constant eight-man fronts throughout much of his Temple career, Pierce still rumbled and rolled to nearly 3,500 yards and 51 touchdowns while missing all or a majority of 10 games due to injury and two more in his freshman season before he took over the starting role.

To put that into perspective, Pierce essentially has missed an entire season during his three-year Temple career and still put up those kinds of numbers.

Pierce is fast, powerful and elusive. Think of him as Trent Richardson, Jr.

Pierce may not garner first-round interest or even second-round interest for that matter, but it will be interesting to see how his New Mexico Bowl game performance this upcoming Saturday against Wyoming affects his decision. Wyoming sports one of the worst run defenses in college football and all Temple can do is run. If Pierce has a huge day on national television, he may take his shot at the NFL.

Given the pounding he takes shouldering so much of the offensive load at Temple, it is in his best interest to go now, especially if his stock is soaring after the bowl game.

Luke Kuechly, LB, Boston College

Luke Kuechly was one of the few bright spots on a Boston College team that struggled to find its footing this season.

The first-team All-American led the nation with 191 tackles, a total that was 44 tackles higher than the next closest player. Kuechly displayed a motor that kept him running from sideline to sideline, in on almost every play. Of his 191 tackles, 102 were solo tackles.

Amazingly, Kuechly also led the Eagles in interceptions as well, snaring three while taking one back for a touchdown.

2011 was no fluke season either. In 2010, Kuechly recorded 183 tackles, 110 of those being solo tackles.

His efforts in 2011 earned him the 2011 Butkus Award, annually given to the nation's top linebacker, the 2011 Bronco Nagurski Trophy, awarded annually to the nation's top defensive player, the 2011 Rotary Lombardi Award, an annual recognition of the nation's top linebacker or lineman, and finally the 2011 Lott IMPACT Award, which is an award that recognizes a combination of heroics both on and off the field.

There is almost nothing left for Kuechly to personally accomplish at the collegiate level, and his draft stock almost cannot get any higher. He is a high-motor player who reads plays very well at the line of scrimmage and has a nose for the ball.

A sure-fire first-rounder, Kuechly should take advantage of his star while it is so bright and enter the 2012 NFL Draft.

Barrett Jones, OL, Alabama

Barrett Jones is a beast of an offensive lineman. After redshirting his true freshman season, the 6'5", 313-lb offensive lineman started to guard as a redshirt freshman in 2009. He played that position again in 2010 before switching to left tackle in 2011.

Jones has displayed a lot of versatility in his time at Alabama, at one time or another playing every position on the line. Jones is nimble and quick and, given his size and pass-protection ability, it is likely that he will play tackle at the next level.

His efforts paving the way for Trent Richardson in 2011 earned Jones the Outland Trophy, awarded annually to the top interior lineman in the country. He also garnered first-team All-America recognition.

Jones is the type of player coaches like to see coming out of college on the offensive line: versatile, big, quick and willing to learn. Without many other offensive linemen ahead of him in draft prognosticator's projections, it is a good time for Jones to declare for the 2012 NFL Draft and earn himself a big payday.

Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor

The 2011 Heisman Trophy winner, Robert Griffin III, otherwise known as RG3, would be the best quarterback available in the 2012 NFL Draft if he declares himself to be eligible.

Griffin III is a superb athlete, an Olympic-caliber hurdler with blazing speed and a cannon for an arm. His play has drawn comparisons to that of Cam Newton, the 2010 Heisman Trophy winner who has taken the NFL by storm.

Griffin III, however, has some intangibles that Newton seems to lack.

RG3 is not only everything Newton is on the field, but he is also extremely bright and very affable. In just three years on campus at Baylor, Griffin III has already earned a bachelor's degree and is nearly complete his graduate work. He has indicated that if he does stay in school for his senior season, he intends to study law while on campus.

His skills and intellect translate extremely well to the next level, making him a hybrid of Michael Vick and Tom Brady, capable of picking apart a defense mentally, with audibles and accurate reads, and physically when the pocket breaks down around him.

It is this added ability that makes Griffin III a better prospect than Andrew Luck, who has been presumed to be the top pick in the 2012 NFL Draft for over a year now.

That was, of course, before Griffin III took college football by storm in 2011. Griffin III showcased his poise, maturity, athleticism and accuracy (72.5 percent completion rate!!) all season. He threw for 3,998 yards and 36 touchdowns while running for 644 yards and nine more touchdowns. In a career where he has attempted about 800 passes, Griffin III has thrown just 17 interceptions, an incredible accomplishment.

If he enters the draft, he will be a high pick; he will be in line to make millions. The interesting part about Griffin III, however, no one is entirely sure that he will go. Despite all that is available to him if he does enter the draft, much like Luck one year ago, Griffin III also values deeply the collegiate experience.

That being said, with the risk involved in not going pro, it would be in his best interest to declare for the 2012 NFL Draft.

Closing Notes...

Many will wonder why both Matt Barkley and Landry Jones were not included on this list.

In regards to Barkley, there is a strong possibility, and a strong case to be made, that he should stick around for his senior season so that he may experience a national title chase. USC has been ineligible for a bowl game each of the last two seasons, and while no one has been paying attention to the Trojans, they have slowly improved to a point where they are almost as good as they were before the sanctions came down.

It wouldn't make much sense for Barkley not to have transferred and play for something if he didn't believe he was committed to staying all four years. It is for that reason that the most logical conclusion for Barkley to come to would be to stay at USC for his senior season and experience the hype, pressure and fun of a national title chase.

As for Jones, given the disappointing season Oklahoma had this year and the wide-open nature of the Big 12 next season, he can significantly improve his draft stock by staying in school one more year. By doing this, he could potentially earn millions more in the long run and fulfill the potential that many saw when he came to Norman.

Jones needs one more season under his belt, and he has some unfinished business with his Sooners teammates, making the most logical decision for him to be to stay in school as well.