Many could not believe it when Andrew Luck elected to return to Stanford despite being the projected top draft pick in the NFL, and now Marcus Mariota may make the same choice. The Oregon Ducks quarterback won the Heisman Trophy and is considered a lock to be a top-five pick, with number one overall being a distinct possibility.
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But according to NFL.com, Mariota may decide to return to school for one more season. Mariota is only a redshirt junior, so he does have one more season of eligibility. Most agree that Mariota will declare for the draft, particularly he leads Oregon to a national championship tonight, but we have been suprised before.
"I really haven't made my decision yet," Mariota said during media day for the College Football Playoff National Championship Game. "I don't know if that's my future. It hasn't been a distraction because I'm really just focusing on this game and making sure I go out there prepared."
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The deadline for underclassmen to declare for the draft is January 15th, which gives Mariota just three days to make a decision about his football future following the title game.
Mariota has said that he will talk about the decision and weigh the options with friends and family, and his coaching staff has tried to help him with the process also.
"I think all of us kind of know what he's thinking and what he's going to do," said Oregon offensive coordinator Scott Frost. "But with him, hey, nobody knows for sure."
While there are some similarities to Luck's situation for Mariota, the parallels are not exactly the same. Luck wanted to return to win a national championship and possibly a Heisman. If Mariota leads the Ducks to victory over Ohio State, he will have pulled off both of those feats, leaving little else for him to accomplish in college. The decision did pan out well for Luck, however, as he eventually went #1 in the draft anyway.
One person who is surely hoping that Mariota does return to school is Jameis Winston. Should Mariota elect to stay in college for one more year, Winston would become the undisputed top quarterback prospect available in the draft, which could result in him getting drafted with the first pick.
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