Staying Put

Should I stay or should I go? That’s the question that faces many highly-touted college football players when they have to make the decision between returning to play in college, or going to the NFL, where greater fame and fortune may await. Several dominant college football stars have already made the call to return to school, some to get a degree, and others in fear of the NFL’s potential lockout next season. Better to play for free than to not play at all, right? Regardless, the return of some of 2010’s best college football players to their schools should make 2011 another incredible college season for the game.
The most famous returnees are in the Pac-10. Andrew Luck, Stanford’s star quarterback who had been the projected number 1 overall pick in the 2011 draft, and LaMichael James, Oregon’s stellar running back who won the Doak Walker Award as the nation’s best running back, are coming back to school for their junior years. Luck’s Stanford Cardinal finished 12-1 last season, losing only to national runner-up Oregon, who also went 12-1 behind the efforts of James. Both players are Heisman favorites and have put their teams in excellent position to compete for a national championship.
In the Big 12, two of the top quarterback-wide receiver tandems in the country are returning to the college scene, and they both happen to be in the same state. Oklahoma returns promising young QB Landry Jones, who threw for 4718 yards and 38 touchdowns, and star receiver Ryan Broyles, who had 1622 receiving yards, 14 TDs, and a nation-leading 131 receptions. Oklahoma State brings back QB Brandon Weeden, who threw for 4277 yards and 34 TDs, and superstar receiver Justin Blackmon, who recorded 1782 receiving yards and 20 TDs en route to being named the winner of the Biletnikoff Award for the nation’s top receiver. Both duos give their teams superb chances to compete for a national title, and both teams could be unbeaten headed into their annual Bedlam battle in the last game of the regular season.
Other notable returning college stars are Boise State QB Kellen Moore, who led the nation with a 182.6 QB rating; Michigan star QB Denard Robinson, who finished 2nd in the country in rushing yards, and South Carolina wide receiver Alshon Jeffery, who was 4th in the nation with 1517 receiving yards. Even though greats like Heisman winner Cam Newton have left for the pros, having all of this firepower back at the collegiate level will give the college game even more attention and respect than it got last year.