It's been a long time since a college football quarterback has garnered as much attention as USC passer Sam Darnold.
Sure, it's still early, but Darnold has a chance to be the next great signal caller emerging from the college ranks. He's getting the same kind of hype as Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck — and most folks just assume Darnold will put together a great season in 2017-18 and depart for the NFL Draft.
Not so fast.
The USC QB worked out at "The Opening," a Nike sponsored event that showcases the top high school recruits in the country — and Daniel Jeremiah of the NFL Network gained some interesting insight into Darnold's future.
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"When I asked the coaches/staffers what stood out about Darnold, they each mentioned his humility and willingness to learn," Jeremiah wrote on NFL.com. "They each mentioned his humility and willingness to learn. He's always asking questions and he doesn't act like he has all of the answers. I also had several sources close to Darnold tell me they wouldn't be surprised if Darnold played two more seasons at USC. As a redshirt sophomore, he can declare for the draft as early as 2018."
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In today's landscape, we all kind of just assume the top college football players who are eligible for the NFL Draft and are expected to get selected in the first round — will leave early and take their talents to the next level.
Obviously a lot can change between now and then, but this is certainly interesting. There are obvious benefits to staying in school, but there's also the major risk for injury or a bad season that would ultimately hurt Darnold's stock.
This is intersting stuff and will be fun to follow.
