The quarterback situation for the NFL Draft could get very interesting as the college football season officially comes to a close. Last year, the quarterback pool was deep with a number of big names entering the league, but this year only Jameis Winston has been the big name to confirm his exit to the NFL. After Ohio State defeated Oregon in the national championship game, Marcus Mariota is uncertain of his future while Cardale Jones could be looking to jump early.
Mariota has one more year of eligibility and the clock is ticking on deciding what to do with it. The Oregon quarterback was the star of the season, earning the Heisman trophy, but he fell short of the ultimate goal of a championship. Mariota insisted that he is a team guy and would quickly trade in the Heisman trophy for a championship and that has him thinking about a possible return for his senior season.
"I'm sure it will weigh in a little bit, but there's a lot of other things that have to play into that decision," Mariota said, via ESPN.com. "There's starting grad school, coming back for another year to improve, there's a lot of other things that could bring me back. It's just not specifically this loss."
Mariota is expected to be the top pick in the draft over Winston if he does declare. While many are waiting on the Oregon quarterback to decide, the bigger question mark could be Jones who is eligible to enter the draft despite being a third-year sophomore. Jones only has three games under his belt, but he was the breakout star of the postseason. If the quarterback were to return to Ohio State, he would have to compete with both JT Barrett and Braxton Miller who may or may not be back. Jones confirmed that he has a lot to think about regarding his future and whether it includes, Ohio State, NFL or another school.
"It's up in the air, sort of, because my No. 1 priority is graduating from Ohio State University and walking away with something that no one can take away from me," Jones said.
Jones has the stats that could turn some heads from NFL teams, but the resume is not there just yet. The Buckeyes are favored to repeat as champions, but it remains to be seen who their quarterback.
