2010 NFL Draft Underclassmen Declaring Thread

[Logan]

We have separate threads on who will get the 1st pick, Claussen declaring, and Locker coming back from what I can see, so I figured with bowl season underway and the number of guys going/staying picking up, a centralized thread for announcements/speculation would be helpful.

What we have so far, with Scout.com's draft projection:

WR Arrelious Benn, Illinois, 1st-2nd round
QB Sam Bradford, Oklahoma, 1st round
WR Dezmon Briscoe, Kansas, 2nd-3rd round
WR Dez Bryant, Oklahoma State, 1st round
OT Bruce Campbell, Maryland, 2nd round
QB Jimmy Claussen, Notre Dame, 1st round
DT Abe Koroma, Western Illinois, UDFA
DT Gerald McCoy, Oklahoma, 1st round
WR Golden Tate, Notre Dame, 1st round
WR Mike Williams, Syracuse, 3rd-4th round

OT Anthony Davis, Rutgers, declared for the draft after last night's bowl win. ESPN has him as a 1st rounder.

[Comey]

Abe Koroma is formerly of Penn State. He had potential...shame to see this is the likely result.

[DeToxRox]

Just saw this on PFT from Mort. We all know Mort is 100% right all the time so obviously take it for what it is but if true it does dispel the myth that underclassman have to come out this year to get paid:

Mort: No rookie wage scale until 2012
Posted by Mike Florio on December 20, 2009 11:01 AM ET
Last year at about this time, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell made it clear that college football players with remaining eligibility should not rush into the 2009 draft due to concerns that a rookie wage scale would be adopted for 2010. Goodel said that there would be no change to the current system until 2011 at the earliest.

Now, ESPN's Chris Mortensen reports that a rookie wage scale would not be implemented until 2012 at the earliest.

So if underclassmen are thinking about coming out due to concerns that the windfalls will evaporate in 2011, think again. The big money will still be there.

And Mort made a blunt plea to the players who might give up their last year of eligibility in order to chase money that might not be there if they wait another year: "Do not listen to agents who are scaring you into a rookie wage scale or a rookie cap. . . . Don't let agents deceive you and lie about this rookie wage scale and rookie cap that would affect you into coming out early."

That said, there's still a chance that there won't be football at all in 2011, which means that players drafted under the current rookie payroll structure might not be getting paid at all for possibly a year. So if agents are using that angle to persuade players to give up any remaining eligibility, the agents wouldn't be lying.

Mort also mentioned the possibility that a rookie wage scale would be phased in, which could make any reductions in the amounts currently paid to the players at the top of the draft not sufficiently significant to be the determining factor in whether a player leaves college early in 2011, 2012, etc.

[JonInMiddleGA]

In Knoxville, Eric Berry will now announce after the bowl game. He was originally planning to make an announcement on Friday but delayed after a conversation with CLK. Given Kiffin's comments about how Berry wanted to focus on preparations, I have to think that makes him leaving all but a sure thing, since saying you're staying doesn't seem like much of a distraction from getting ready for a bowl.

At GT, Morgan Burnett says he'll decide with his family after the Orange Bowl.

[timmynausea]

Tomorrow is the last day for underclassmen to declare for the draft. Noel Devine and Jock Sanders just announced that they're coming back to play as seniors at WVU.

[RedKingGold]

LB Navarro Bowman (Penn State - potential first round pick) declared a few weeks ago.

[JPhillips]

DE - Thaddeus Gibson OSU declared a while back also

[Swaggs]

Devine's quote made me feel really proud of him for sticking around, when he probably doesn't have much to gain from an NFL-perspective and, despite what he says, WVU is breaking in a new, relatively inexperienced QB next season, which makes the odds on winning the BE championship a longshot. Being the first one in his family to earn a college degree will be a great achievement.

“It’s all about unfinished business on the field and in the classroom,” Devine said. “West Virginia University and my coaches are doing a great job of preparing me for the NFL and for life after football. Each year on the team has been important and each of us has given a little bit more. Now its time for my senior season with my teammates – and I want it to be a special one, so I am going to give even more. I want to be the first member of my family to finish with a college degree, and I want to bring back a championship to Morgantown. I really enjoy playing in front of the greatest fans in America, but my ultimate goal is to earn my degree.”

[cartman]

Safety Earl Thomas of the 'Horns declared last Friday

[DanGarion]

Joe McKnight

Damian Williams

[Lathum]

Toby Gerhart

[CU Tiger]

Geathers from SC has defected and announced he intends to enter the NFL next year

[sooner333]

OU-
QB Sam Bradford
DB Dominique Franks
TE Jermaine Gresham
DT Gerald McCoy

[Radii]

RB Jonathan Dwyer, apparently convinced that he'll be able to run in the right direction in the NFL, DE Derrick Morgan, S Morgan Burnett and WR Demaryius Thomas from Georgia Tech are all coming out early.

[Cuckoo]

OU-
QB Sam Bradford
DB Dominique Franks
TE Jermaine Gresham
DT Gerald McCoy

...And even though there are some HUGE losses there, two of them didn't play at all or much at all this last season and only one (Franks) came as any kind of a surprise. In other words, as crazy as it is to suggest when you lose players of that caliber, it's great news and OU came out of this much better than I feared when Beal, Murray, Lewis and Broyles were all possibilities.

[MrBug708]

Brian price ucla dt as well as rob gronkowski te from zona. Both are likely top 3 picks at their positions

[RedKingGold]

I think the mods should move this to the other NFL Off-Season thread.