Marcus Mariota, Cardale Jones mum on NFL prospects

Jan 12, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) walks off the field after losing to the Ohio State Buckeyes in the 2015 CFP National Championship Game at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

College quarterbacks Marcus Mariota and Cardale Jones declined to comment on questions surrounding their potential to declare for the NFL draft.

If you were hoping for a snazzy clip from either starting quarterback from the final game of the NCAA football season, then you’ll have to wait another day or two. Both Oregon Ducks QB Marcus Mariota and Ohio State Buckeyes QB Cardale Jones are eligible for the NFL draft, but they’ll each take their time in advance of the Thursday deadline as they decide whether they want to go pro or remain in college next season.

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“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,” Marcus Mariota said, per ESPN, after the Ducks lost 42-20 in the first playoff championship game in college football history. “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 would immediately become one of the top quarterbacks taken in the draft, if not the top overall player selected in the spring. But grad school is pretty interesting, too. I mean–oh who are we kidding? Coming off a Heisman season, Mariota will likely never see his stock sit as high as it currently does. You can always go back to grad school, but the NFL is a bit more selective.

Cardale Jones meanwhile has an even tougher decision. As a third-year sophomore, Jones is also eligible for the draft, but he’s only started three games in his career. Those three games? Wins over Wisconsin, Alabama and Oregon. It’s a microscopic, albeit highly impressive sample size, but it also stands as what could be the high mark of Jones’ NCAA career, given that the Buckeyes have two worthy quarterbacks, one of whom could take the starting job next year.

“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 per ESPN.

While both quarterbacks admirably want to prioritize their education, it’s fair to say neither will find better opportunities to go high in the draft than this spring. The strength of the QB class in this year’s draft will depend on the decisions by these two QBs, set to be made by this Thursday, which stands as the deadline to declare for the draft.

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