As the college football season approaches its end, the top draft-eligible underclassmen will begin to decide on a major choice in their lives: stay and play college ball one more year, or leave for the NFL Draft. Three soon-to-be pros seemed to have made their choice today.
Indiana running back Jordan Howard led a trio of talented juniors deemed very likely to declare for the NFL Draft today, Optimum Scouting’s Eric Galko. Along with Howard, Lousiville Safety Josh Harvey-Clemons and Maryland defensive linesman Quinton Jefferson are also expected to make the jump to the NFL.
Howard, a transfer from UAB, will come off a highly productive college career. He amassed more than 3,500 career rushing yards and currently ranks third in the Big Ten with 1,213 yards this season. While Howard will likely end the season slightly below last year’s totals of 1,587 yards and 14 touchdowns, he has been much more efficient, average a full yard more per carry at 6.2. In his final collegiate game, Howard could help the Hoosier record their first winning season in nearly a decade.
Harvey-Clemons was a defensive back for Georgia from 2012-2013 until he was dismissed from the program for repeated rules violations. Harvey-Clemons found a second chance with Todd Grantham, the former Georgia defensive coordinator who once recruited the Harvey-Clemons. Now the DC at Louisville, Grantham helped Harvey-Clemons get back into college football with Lousiville. After sitting out a year, Harvey-Clemons played a vital role on a feisty Cardinals team that came within three points of knocking off a still-undefeated Clemson team. Harvey-Clemons had 80 tackles and two interceptions this year, both career highs.
Jefferson, a redshirt junior, has been a solid contributor for Maryland virtually his entire career. After a solid 2013 campaign, where Jefferson started every game for Maryland, many expected great things for 2014. Unfortunately for Jefferson, his 2014 season came to halt only three games in thanks to a knee injury which required surgery. Jefferson proved his rehab from the injury had gone as smoothly as anyone could have hoped – he started 11 games and recorded more sacks and tackles for loss in one season than he had the past three seasons combined. According to Galko, Jefferson will likely be joined by some of his fellow underclassmen teammates in the draft this year
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