Players going Pro after Jr year

[Dan Thompson]

Tell me about this.k

It seems to me that every time OU gets close to NMC, I can look back and remember some players that left a year early, that might be able to help OU to the MNC.

Roy Williams was one and AD is another.

[stoops the eternal pimp]

Tommy Harris who expressed some regret in not returning that next season a couple of years ago.

I ll be really surprised if MK comes back for his senior season. Not a lot of great WR's this year

[SoonerStormchaser]

Brodney Poole...Tommie Harris...Jimmy Wilkerson...

[OU_Sooners75]

I would be very surprised if Kelly leaves early. He is not real high on the draft boards.

[stoops the eternal pimp]

Who's draft boards?

Many boards dont include juniors til after they declare

[OU_Sooners75]

Right now he is 18th in a draft board on espn.com.
However, that is if he decides to go. Personally, it probably would be in his best interest to stay for his Senior year.

[stoops the eternal pimp]

Right now he is 18th in a draft board on espn.com.
However, that is if he decides to go. Personally, it probably would be in his best interest to stay for his Senior year.

We ll have to agree to disagree on his best interest.

Most scouts I have talked with say its between him and Deshaun Jackson on who would go first, some projecting Kelly going between the 8 and 15 spot in the first. The only knock on Kelly is his route running is still sloppy at times but that stuff is fixable.

If at the end of the year if he is still sitting that high, then he might as well roll on.

[Curly Bill]

As a selfish Sooner fan I'd love to see MK come back. It would however be in his best interest to go make millions of $$$$$$$. Barring something unforseen everything I've seen indicates him to be a sure 1st round pick.

I'd love an explanation, by the way, of how it would be in his best interest to return. :confused:

[Breadburner]

Demond Parker....If he had that to do over again he would have stayed....

[Soonerus]

MK is gone...

[Curly Bill]

MK is gone...

I concur...in a very a strong manner.

[setem]

MK is gone...

Inglesias will be back and he is playing lights out right now! Another year will do that kid some good! Gresh seems like the kind of guy who would stay around to get his degree. So I think we will see him here 2 more years cause he is only a soph. Even though we really have not been throwing much to the other guys they are very good wide-outs and we have other guys working into the system. I have heard nothing but good things about Travis Wilson's little brother. I am not scared at all to see MK go! Don't get me wrong...I want the kid at OU as long as we can have him. He is absotootly amazing! We have depth at WR and with what we have coming in we should be stacked for a while!

With JJF leaving us, Brody Eldridge should get more passes and that Hannah kid coming on board TE is going to be a strength for us for many years to come!

GOD I LOVE FOOTBALL!!!

[Redshirt]

Every time a Sooner leaves early or gets drafted, the quality of our recruiting goes up.

[MNsooner]

MK is gone...
I think it is hard to say. If he continues to slump he may stick around. Though, even if he slumps he may want to go anyway. Scouts look at more than stats and surely will see his talent. However, he may think if he stays he has a shot at a extremely early position in the draft.

My analysis:
75% chance he is gone.

[StoopTroup]

Noticed that JJF cut his hair....

[snp]

MK has been talking about leaving since this summer. I tried to talk him out of it but I was no help.

If people get in Duke's ear, he might be gone too.

[sanantoniosooner]

Guys........I just checked and MK is still on the roster.

[goingoneight]

MK has been talking about leaving since this summer. I tried to talk him out of it but I was no help.

If people get in Duke's ear, he might be gone too.

Duke has some pretty good hands it seems. I mean, he hasn't had any drops lately. :D

[KRYPTON]

This is a weird situation where Kelly could leave and we wouldn't drop off in the passing game at all, despite how great he is. You'd still have Iggy and Johnson, Tennell isn't exactly chopped liver, he just hasn't been out there as much.

Plus some of the freshmen, like CWilson, would come online.

All this with an OL that probably returns all its starters - Duke would be nuts to leave early - and a superb QB with good experience.

[Lott's Bandana]

Duke has some pretty good hands it seems. I mean, he hasn't had any drops lately. :D


KW ought to think about a tackle eligible play at the goal line. Duke looked like a runner with that ball, not just an OL without a clue! Great stuff....









.

[badger]

Really, it was best for AD and the program for him to go. We once again had a first round pick from OU in the NFL Draft and he gave his daddy a big huge @$$ watch that they showed during that Dallas/Minny game :D

Not only that, but it gave our younger RB's a chance to shine - Brown, Patrick and Murray wouldn't be getting all these carries and opportunities if AD was still here.

So, MK's going to the draft. It'll be a loss, yes, but we have the pride in knowing that Texas, A&M and other schools in his backyard passed up his two-star recruiting self and OU gave him the opportunity to shine. Make your millions, make OU proud and we'll have other receivers to get the ball from Bradford :D

[Rock Hard Corn Frog]

Only based on what I've heard second hand I believe it is a pretty poorly kept secret that Kelly intends to declare for the draft. Like AD last year I pretty much consider Kelly a senior this year.

Other than that possibly Duke. Before the season I would have said Reggie Smith. I still think he will be a good pro but his draft stock for this year has dropped enough that I don't think he would leave early. Bad for him, good for the D next year. Gresham probably would be gone too IMO but he isn't eligible.

Otherwise I think everyone is certainly back. I suppose someone could have a financial need to turn pro immediately even if they are are second day pick but otherwise I don't see people leaving.

[Curly Bill]

MK's going tSo, o the draft. It'll be a loss, yes, but we have the pride in knowing that Texas, A&M and other schools in his backyard passed up his two-star recruiting self and OU gave him the opportunity to shine. Make your millions, make OU proud and we'll have other receivers to get the ball from Bradford :D


MK was a 4-star recruit, and one of Rivals top 100. He could have gone anywhere he wanted.

[adoniijahsooner]

Many of the guys being discussed are "talented" enough to go pro, but the decision making of some of these 3 year starters can really hurt them when scouts start evaluating film. MK can catch whatever is thrown his way, but after three years he still doesnt have the ability to dive for a ball that is underthrown and has difficulty running routes. JI can run amazing routes but has trouble holding on to the ball; Reggie Smith has been having constant brain lock on punt returns, which may not mean anything since he may not return kicks in the pro's. Duke is ready to go if He wants to go, in the nfl pass blocking is more important than run blocking.

[Doged]

I think Duke should stick around for another year. He can improve his draft position by improving that 8-yards per catch stat. On the other hand, he has caught every pass thrown his way so should be the first receiver picked. :D

MK going is almost a certainty I'd think. His stats aren't all that this year but his talent is evident and he should grade very well in pre-draft workouts. Bad for us, but I'm proud of him and hope he enjoys a lot of success in the NFL.

[stoops the eternal pimp]

Many of the guys being discussed are "talented" enough to go pro, but the decision making of some of these 3 year starters can really hurt them when scouts start evaluating film. MK can catch whatever is thrown his way, but after three years he still doesnt have the ability to dive for a ball that is underthrown and has difficulty running routes. JI can run amazing routes but has trouble holding on to the ball; Reggie Smith has been having constant brain lock on punt returns, which may not mean anything since he may not return kicks in the pro's. Duke is ready to go if He wants to go, in the nfl pass blocking is more important than run blocking.

One thing working for them though is that there is over emphasis on workout numbers at the Combine and one good workout for some reason give certain teams amnesia..

[MojoRisen]

I heard some talk that Laodholdt may be leaving - I think the Oline should stick around for the #1 ranking in phil steel's mag -and pre draft hype.

However I hear those guys are gone- couple of million reason's why -

[MiccoMacey]

Loadholt makes waaaaaay too many mistakes to be considered.

I'm all for people leaving early if it benefits them. I can't see anyone on this year's roster that could or should make that leap.

And that OLine is going to have to start living up to THIS years hype first. They've not played the way they've been billed to play consistently enough in any one game outside of maybe Texas.

[Curly Bill]

Loadholt makes waaaaaay too many mistakes to be considered.

I'm all for people leaving early if it benefits them. I can't see anyone on this year's roster that could or should make that leap.

And that OLine is going to have to start living up to THIS years hype first. They've not played the way they've been billed to play consistently enough in any one game outside of maybe Texas.

Loadholt's a very big and quite agile man. Yeah he makes too many mistakes but trust me, the NFL is more concerned with those first two attributes I mentioned. They'll figure they can work the mistakes out of him, it's harder to take a guy that doesn't make mistakes and make him very big and quite agile. I think he should stay, but that being said he would be drafted and IMO fairly early.

[KRYPTON]

if the NFL cared about OLmen making stupid mistakes, Flozell Adams would still be in his sophomore year in college.

[Curly Bill]

if the NFL cared about OLmen making stupid mistakes, Flozell Adams would still be in his sophomore year in college.

There you go, case in point. Flozell makes mistakes, but he's awfully big and has good agility for someone that size. I wouldn't say the NFL doesn't care about their linemen making mistakes, it's just easier to coach the mistakes out of them then it is to make them big and agile.

[BillyBall]

I would be surprised if anyone other than MK left early, but then again, I was shocked when Poole and Wilkerson both left early.

[jccouger]

If we win the NC then I don't doubt that a few juniors will leave. But if we don't, I think they would consider staying because we will have a good chance to win it next year.

[Desert Sapper]

IMO, it's not in a player's best interest to leave early unless they are a legitimate Top 5 pick. AD was a legitimate Top 5 (probably #1) that too many people balked on for 'health reasons' (pfffft). Nobody this year fits that bill. MK is amazing, and would go in round 1 if he left, but if he stays next year, he has a good chance (QB likely returning with a year of experience) of jumping into the Top 5. Not to mention the total experience we should be bringing back next year. Only AD and TRRW should have left after their Junior season. Poole, Wilkerson, and even Tommie would have benefited from another year in the system.

[Curly Bill]

Coming back to play for NC's and all that is great...but $$$$$$$$$ talks
very loudly.

Just sayin.

Besides that, there's no guarantee that if you come back you won't be injured, the team doesn't live up to expectations, etc... If you're going to be a 1st round pick you better get it while you can.

[SoonerBBall]

I would be surprised if anyone other than MK left early, but then again, I was shocked when Poole and Wilkerson both left early.

Jimmy had to go, it wasn't a choice made based on his ability, it was pretty much forced on him by his family and financial situation.

[BillyBall]

Jimmy had to go, it wasn't a choice made based on his ability, it was pretty much forced on him by his family and financial situation.

This I know, I just had no idea at the time of his decision and was shocked.

Similar situation with Devin Hester.

[badger]

Jimmy had to go, it wasn't a choice made based on his ability, it was pretty much forced on him by his family and financial situation.
This decision sucked, btw. He is currently making about $700 thou per season, whereas if he were a first rounder, which he would have been had he stayed for his senior year, he'd be making a lot more now, maybe $1.5 to $2 mil per season with a bigger signing bonus!

... of course, some difficult situations result in difficult decisions. It's unfortunate that his family was relying on a 20-year-old (or was he 21 then? Either way...) to support them. What if he had a career ending injury? What was the family's backup plan? Hope they're saving up for after his NFL days are over...

In the case of Brodney Pool, he had a very easy decision to make. The draft didn't have many at his position and even though we're still all cringing from those missed assignments his last year at Oklahoma, Pool made the best decision for his future career - go when there's little competition!

Wilkerson though... man. Stoops said it himself that he didn't agree with the decision, although he supported Jimmy. He was either a sixth or a seventh rounder if I remember right. Just one more year and he'd have the same amount of money in signing bonuses alone that he's made in four years going on five in the NFL by upping his draft stock.:(

But, not my money, not your money, so not my decision or your's. I'm sure Stoops gives them all the info they need to make the decision, even if he would prefer that his players stay and graduate and get championships, I think Stoops would far rather they take care of themselves and their families in the long run, instead of his program's short term future.

[Desert Sapper]

I just take the Stoops approach: It's the very small minority that benefit from skipping their senior year. Guys that it is obvious to everyone that they are men among boys. Only TRRW and AD (maybe Tommie) fit that mold in the Stoops era. Just sayin'.

[TripleOption14]

This decision sucked, btw. He is currently making about $700 thou per season


Hmm..... but how long has he been in the league? Plus you make it sound as if $700,000 is chump change. Anybody here would take that for how ever many years he has been in the league.

[CitySooner]

They should stay and graduate with their degrees to make their mothers of children proud. ;)

[stoopified]

Right now he is 18th in a draft board on espn.com.
However, that is if he decides to go. Personally, it probably would be in his best interest to stay for his Senior year.When you say #18,do you mean #18 player in the draft or #18 WR in the Draft?If he is a Top 20 selection,I think he will go and I don't blame him.If he is not a First Round pick he should come back.I can't imagine MK beingthe #18 wr in the draft but I have seen stranger things in the draft,like VY going in the first round.

[stoops the eternal pimp]

I just take the Stoops approach: It's the very small minority that benefit from skipping their senior year. Guys that it is obvious to everyone that they are men among boys. Only TRRW and AD (maybe Tommie) fit that mold in the Stoops era. Just sayin'.

I see what your saying but I can also tell you it would have benefited rufus to come out early. Larry Birdine is another. There are so many factors to consider. If AD would have stayed, there would have been a chance McFadden goes before him this year, as silly as that sounds now. So he made a good call. He was so far ahead of anybody coming out last year he made the best choice.

It did benefit Mark Clayton to come back because he needed to get a little stronger and improve his run blocking technique due to lack of size. Kelly has the natural gifts that Mark Clayton worked hard for.

How would it benefit MK to stay? Is his route running gonna get that much better in the next year? I dont see going top 5 any time so waiting a year to go in the top 5 probably wont help him at all. With this class of WRs, he is gonna be hard to pass up. I know the Bills for one are very excited about him and would love to take him in the 1st.

[SoonerBBall]

This decision sucked, btw. He is currently making about $700 thou per season, whereas if he were a first rounder, which he would have been had he stayed for his senior year, he'd be making a lot more now, maybe $1.5 to $2 mil per season with a bigger signing bonus!

... of course, some difficult situations result in difficult decisions. It's unfortunate that his family was relying on a 20-year-old (or was he 21 then? Either way...) to support them. What if he had a career ending injury? What was the family's backup plan? Hope they're saving up for after his NFL days are over...

In the case of Brodney Pool, he had a very easy decision to make. The draft didn't have many at his position and even though we're still all cringing from those missed assignments his last year at Oklahoma, Pool made the best decision for his future career - go when there's little competition!

Wilkerson though... man. Stoops said it himself that he didn't agree with the decision, although he supported Jimmy. He was either a sixth or a seventh rounder if I remember right. Just one more year and he'd have the same amount of money in signing bonuses alone that he's made in four years going on five in the NFL by upping his draft stock.:(

But, not my money, not your money, so not my decision or your's. I'm sure Stoops gives them all the info they need to make the decision, even if he would prefer that his players stay and graduate and get championships, I think Stoops would far rather they take care of themselves and their families in the long run, instead of his program's short term future.

I think you misunderstood me. His family didn't force him to enter the draft. He chose to enter the draft so that he could help out with a difficult situation in his family. I think Jimmy made the right call for his particular situation.

[MojoRisen]

First round in Football - you should with out question go- this isn't basketball or Baseball- people easily get hurt and it is all over.