Georgia Bulldogs star running back Todd Gurley was widely considered the best rusher in the nation and a favorite in the Heisman Trophy campaign when the season began. Even a four-game suspension for signing autographs for money didn't change most people's perception about him. Gurley was a can't-miss prospect destined for the first round of the 2015 NFL draft. After all, the tailback had racked up 911 yards on 123 carries (7.4 average) and nine rushing touchdowns this season.
Unfortunately, Gurley tore his ACL in his first game back from suspension against Auburn last Saturday. A torn ACL requires major reconstructive surgery and a lengthy and exhaustive rehab. The injury will undoubtedly hurt Gurley's draft stock considerably.
Gurley's injury could also represent a changing paradigm among college football's top prospects. The whole ordeal "underscores the reality that 'an education' doesn't represent nearly enough compensation for the contributions the players make and the risks they assume," Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk wrote.
"It also provides further ammunition for the inevitable decision of an NFL-ready player less than three years removed from high school to sit out a year in lieu of exposing himself to serious injury without the ability to be paid by the school or to sell his name or likeness at a time when a significant market for both exist."
Florio makes a good point. The risk-reward of playing in such a situation as projected early-round picks tilts heavily in the former's direction. Could Gurley's injury lead to a wave of players deciding to sit out until they are draft eligible?
"If/when a college football player turns his back on college football for a year, fans of the team will be livid. Many in the media will wag a finger. Scouts will whisper anonymously to reporters that the player must not 'love football.'
"But it will be a smart business decision. And it will be precisely the business decision than any of us should want our own sons to make if the upper reaches of the NFL draft were widely regarded as a certainty."
Another recent notable draft prospect whose stock tumbled following an injury is fellow running back Marcus Lattimore, who recently retired due to knee troubles. Lattimore, like Gurley, was once considered the "top running back prospect in college football." A devastating knee injury caused him to drop to the fourth round of the 2013 NFL draft, costing him millions of dollars in the process.
One hopes that Gurley will recover from this injury and go on to have a long and successful career in the NFL. But at this point, there is no denying that college football is losing its leverage over its players. Either the NCAA will be proactive and change the compensatory system in the near future or star players will take Florio's advice and start electing not to play.
