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As the 2019 season winds down, players from around the country are announcing their decisions regarding the NFL Draft.
To stay or go? That is the important question impacting teams around the country. As of Sunday, there have been 74 underclassmen to declare, according to The Athletic, and 12 of them are from the Big Ten. That list could grow in the coming days, with a pair of Iowa players potentially gone too.
This list won’t include the likes of Chase Young or Jeff Okudah, who each have been perceived as top five picks virtually all season and therefore have been near certainties to declare. Same goes for Penn State’s Yetur Gross-Matos, who was viewed as a first round pick before the season and recently declared.
It also doesn’t include Iowa’s AJ Epenesa or Tristan Wirfs, who have yet to make decisions but would vault to the top of this list should they stay considering each is likely be first rounders if they leave.
1. Shaun Wade (Ohio State)
The cornerback’s announcement over the weekend to stay at Ohio State for another season was huge for a team that is already losing Okudah, Damon Arnette and Jordan Fuller. Arguably the best secondary in the country won’t be starting all over in 2020. The Buckeyes have visions of returning to the College Football Playoff and will be loaded once again, and they’ll have a key cog back as an anchor.
How important is Wade to Ohio State? Look no further than the CFP semifinal when he was controversially ejected for targeting with the Buckeyes leading Clemson 16-0. The game turned after Wade’s sack of Trevor Lawrence was nullified, and Ohio State was sent home one game earlier than it envisioned.
Linebacker Baron Browning opting to return is also great news for Ohio State, which will need 5-star edge rusher Zach Harrison to step up in his sophomore season without Young. And offensively, guard Wyatt Davis is back too.
2. KJ Hamler (Penn State)
It became clearer with each week that Hamler was destined for the NFL, but it doesn’t hurt any less than for a Penn State squad that will likely be ranked in the top 10 to start the season. Hamler was as shifty of a wideout as any in the Big Ten and maybe the country, as he racked up 904 receiving yards and eight touchdowns.
Quarterback Sean Clifford is losing a major weapon in Hamler, and all of a sudden, the Nittany Lions’ receiving room is looking a little thin. Justin Shorter, the No. 1 receiver in the 2018 class, entered the transfer portal midseason. It had to hurt Penn State fans to see former Nittany Lion Juwan Johnson making plays in the Rose Bowl — for Oregon.
Getting tight end Pat Freiermuth back is huge, as he looks like he could make a nice living in the NFL one day. Can Jahan Dotson take over that No. 1 receiving role vacated by Hamler?
3. Alaric Jackson (Iowa)
The Iowa left tackle will be back to start for a fourth straight season. He battled injuries all season and apparently never considered going pro. Jackson could be a high-round pick in 2021, and he’ll use 2020 as a chance to up his stock.
This is a big lift for an Iowa offense that will have a new quarterback, with three-year starter Nate Stanley graduating. Assuming Wirfs leaves, at least the Hawkeyes have one big tackle staying.
Iowa LT Alaric Jackson said he never even considered turning pro after this year. Hasn't been healthy, still isn't, he added. Wants to improve pass pro especially. Will be a four-year starting left tackle at Iowa.
— Chad Leistikow🆑 (@ChadLeistikow) December 28, 2019
4. Jonathan Taylor (Wisconsin)
Why isn’t Taylor higher on this list? For one, it was always assumed Taylor would leave, as he has done just about all one player could for a college program, and he’s wise to not use any more miles up before cashing in. Wisconsin has probably been prepping for this reality for quite some time, but it still stings nonetheless.
Nakia Watson, the Badgers’ backup and the team’s No. 2 recruit in their 2018 class, could assume the starting role next season. The name to watch is Jalen Berger, who this weekend committed to the Badgers. The 4-star recruit is ranked 109th overall in the 2020 class and is the No. 11 running back.
Why isn’t Ohio State’s J.K. Dobbins on this list at all? As terrific as Dobbins was this season, Ohio State is still loaded on offense without him. Master Teaque, Dobbins’ backup, was the No. 7 rusher in the Big Ten this season and was voted All-Big Ten by the coaches and media. He is capable of stepping in. The receiving core, led by Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson, will be tough to defend, too, with Heisman finalist Justin Fields also back.
5. Cesar Ruiz (Michigan)
For a program battling a talent deficit against elite programs, Michigan would’ve loved to have Ruiz back, but he is NFL-bound. The Second Team All-Big Ten center leaves a hole in the middle of the offensive line for a Michigan squad that already was trying to squeeze every drop of production out of its run game, which averaged under four yards per carry in 2019.
The good news for Michigan is that Nico Collins is coming back, and that offsets the loss of Jonathan Peoples-Jones to the NFL. Collins was the better of the two, anyway, and he will form a dynamic duo with rising junior Ronnie Bell.
Ryan O'Gara is the lead columnist for Saturday Tradition. Follow him on Twitter @RyanOGara.