Just days after beating the Oregon Ducks in the National Championship Game, former third-string quarterback Cardale Jones is rumored to be entering the NFL Draft.
Life changing decision at 4pm
— Cardale Jones (@CJ12_) January 15, 2015The redshirt sophomore threw for 742 yards and five touchdowns during Ohio State's last three games, leading the Buckeyes to two shocking upsets against the Ducks and the Alabama Crimson Tide.
Though Jones has done little beyond these three games to prove himself as an NFL-worthy talent, he appears to be ready to strike while the iron is hot instead of battling it out for the starting quarterback position with J.T. Barrett and Braxton Miller next season.
It's a smart move for Jones, as it's unlikely that his draft stock will ever be higher than it is now. But is an early-round selection of Jones a wise move for NFL teams? The hype surrounding Jones smacks of the same fervor surrounding Packers back-up quarterback Matt Flynn, who infamously parlayed a six touchdown, 480-yard performance against the Detroit Lions into a three-year/$20.5 million contract with the Seattle Seahawks. Flynn, of course, never started a single game for the 'Hawks.
Jones seems to have a higher upside than Flynn ever did, though. At 6'5", 249 pounds, the Buckeyes signal-caller is an absolute truck of a quarterback, cut from a similar cloth as big-armed, big-bodied playmakers like Cam Newton. However, whether Jones is able to complete his transformation from third-stringer to Superman remains to be seen.
UPDATE:
Scratch that.
BREAKING: OSU QB Cardale Jones will return to Ohio State next season. pic.twitter.com/3SduS7Ejnr
— ESPN CollegeFootball (@ESPNCFB) January 15, 2015[via Twitter]
