XT and TL - One and done?

May 1, 2018, 10:14 AM

Which College Football Freshmen Could Be One-and-Done If the NFL Allowed It?

The ink is barely dry on the 2018 NFL draft, which means 2019 mock drafts are already spreading like wildfire.

That got us thinking: Which incoming freshmen would be the top candidates to jump to the NFL after just one season if college football had a one-and-done option like basketball has?

It will probably never happen. With limited exceptions, 19-year-old kids would not be capable of undertaking the physical demands of the NFL without suffering a catastrophic injury. But some of these freshmen are so highly touted and so large for their age that they would at least be worth a flier in next year's draft.

For the sake of argument, only true freshmen were considered for this list. Maybe Stanford's Davis Mills, Georgia's Isaiah Wilson or Ohio State's Shaun Wade could make the leap after redshirting the 2017 season, but we're only interested in those who could go from high school to the NFL in the span of 16 months.

Some of these guys might be lucky to even see the field as freshmen, so this shouldn't be considered a ranking of first-year players most likely to appear on 2018 all-conference teams. Rather, players on the following slides are listed in ascending order of where they might appear in 2019 mock drafts if they were eligible.

3. Xavier Thomas, DE, Clemson
247Sports 2018 Ranks: No. 3 Overall; No. 1 DE

Measurements: 6'3", 260 lbs

The funny thing about Xavier Thomas' ranking this high on the list is that he's barely going to see the field this season.

Since Christian Wilkins, Austin Bryant and Clelin Ferrell all opted to return to Clemson—and Dexter Lawrence was required to return after his true sophomore season—the Tigers have an embarrassment of riches on the defensive line. Dabo Swinney also signed defensive end KJ Henry, who is the No. 14 overall recruit in this year's class, adding one more piece to this playing time logjam.

When he gets to play, though, this pass-rusher is going to impress with his motor and his explosiveness. Thomas goes hard on every single play; combined with an excellent first step, that makes him a nightmare for opposing offensive tackles.

An uber-athlete, Thomas was a two-way player early in his high school career, and he also dabbled in baseball and basketball. Per MaxPreps, he had 42 tackles for loss over the past four seasons. He was also named the defensive line MVP at The Opening last July.

1. Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson
247Sports 2018 Ranks: No. 1 Overall; No. 1 QB

Measurements: 6'6", 208 lbs

Generally speaking, quarterbacks don't even get considered for this list. It's one thing to be big and strong enough to handle the physical demands of the NFL, but the mental/maturity/leadership aspect of playing QB needs to develop over the course of several years at the college level.

Trevor Lawrence is a once-in-a-blue-moon talent, though. If he were eligible for the 2019 NFL draft, there's no question some team would take a chance on him. It probably wouldn't be in the first two rounds, and he likely wouldn't see the field until at least 2021. But it would be irresponsible to repeatedly pass on the opportunity to draft and stash him.

In his four years at Georgia's Cartersville High School, Lawrence had a 63.4 percent completion rate, averaging 248.3 yards per game and 10.4 yards per attempt with 161 touchdowns against 21 interceptions. In his senior season, the numbers were even more ridiculous: 69.0, 274.2, 12.9, 41 and one, respectively. His surgical precision in the pocket is why he may well swoop in and steal the starting job from Kelly Bryant as a true freshman.

Lawrence will need to put on a little more weight before becoming a pro, but at 6'6" with a howitzer for an arm, it's almost a foregone conclusion that he'll be special once he does get to the NFL.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2772459-which-college-football-freshmen-could-be-one-and-done-if-the-nfl-allowed-it

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XT and TL - One and done?

I think only wrs and kickers could 1 and done it.***

Re: I think only wrs and kickers could 1 and done it.***

They say 1 thing and i disagree with they.

I don't know that ANY college..............

Re: I don't know that ANY college..............

Re: XT and TL - One and done?

Re: XT and TL - One and done?

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