HEADLINES

Leonard Williams

Leonard Williams To Enter Draft

December 29th, 2014 at 2:11pm CST by Luke Adams

Two-time All-American defensive end Leonard Williams will forgo his senior season at USC and enter the 2015 NFL draft, he announced today through the school.

“This was a very hard decision for me,” Williams said in a statement. “I love USC, Coach Sark and the coaching staff, my teammates and the fans, and I love the game of college football. It’s hard to leave all of that. I know life is never the same once you leave college. But I feel like it’s the right time for me to go. I feel like I’m ready. I’m looking forward to the new challenge that the NFL presents.”

Viewed as a lock to be a top-five pick, Williams is one of the very best prospects available this year, ranking second overall on CBSSports.com’s board, and first on ESPN.com’s. While the Buccaneers and Titans are considered good bets to take a long look at the top quarterbacks available, either team could consider Williams, and if they pass, Jacksonville would be a very realistic landing spot for the USC junior at No. 3. Jaguars beat writers Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com and Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union both published tweets in response to Williams’ announcement suggesting that GM David Caldwell would be very interested in the young defensive end.

Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports reported earlier this month that Williams is believed to have already selected an agent based on a “long-standing family relationship.”

Draft Rumors: Peters, Williams, Ray, Peat

December 16th, 2014 at 4:03pm CST by Luke Adams

For the first time ever, the number of NCAA underclassmen entering the NFL draft in 2014 cracked the triple digits, establishing a new record, but that record may not last long. According to Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link), one source thinks it’s possible that last year’s number (102) will be “dwarfed” this year. As Getlin adds in a second tweet, the most commonly cited reason for underclassmen making the leap to the NFL early is that players are “sick of playing without market-based compensation.”

With that in mind, Getlin has updates on several potential early entrants for the 2015 draft. Let’s dive in….

  • Washington defensive back Marcus Peters will enter the 2015 draft, multiple sources tell Getlin (Twitter link). Peters currently projects as an early-to-mid-round pick.
  • Despite his public hedging, USC defensive lineman Leonard Williams is viewed as a virtual lock to enter the draft, sources tell Getlin (Twitter links). According to Getlin, Williams, who is considered one of NCAA’s top prospects, is believed to have already selected an agent, based – in part – on “a long-standing family relationship.”
  • Missouri defensive end – and SEC sack leader – Shane Ray is seriously considering entering the draft, writes Getlin, who notes that Ray’s mother has been vetting potential agents for her son. The redshirt junior is viewed as a likely top-10 pick.
  • Stanford offensive tackle Andrus Peat, a probable first-rounder, is currently on the fence about whether or not to leave school early, according to Getlin (Twitter link).
  • Oregon defensive lineman Arik Armstead is “strongly” leaning toward leaving school early and entering the draft, says Gatlin. Armstead hasn’t decided anything officially yet, but his father has been meeting with agents in order to be prepared if and when his son declares his intent.
  • Tevin Coleman has been meeting with agents, and while the Indiana running back hasn’t signed with anyone, the signs are pointing to him entering the draft, tweets Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net.