Bryce Love is returning for his senior year, which is good for Stanford
By Josh Hill
Bryce Love is returning to Stanford for his senior season, which is good for the school but questionable for him.
If you were wondering where Stanford star running back Bryce Love will be drafted, we’re going to have some extra time to think it over. When Love was up for the Heisman the idea was that he’d be one of the better skill position players drafted in April.
That won’t be happening, however, as he’ll instead be returning to Stanford for his senior season.
Love coming back for one more tour at Stanford is really good for the school. The Cardinal were in the Pac-12 Championship game this year and looked poised to make a return next year even without Love. Now that he’s coming back, the Stanford offense probably won’t miss a beat and could be even better than it was in 2017.
The real question here is will it be worth the wait for Love? Not only does returning for his senior year expose him to the possibility of injury but it could end up hurting his stock if he turns in a down year. Love had all of the momentum going for him — a great season, Heisman finalist, highlight reel for days — and he still decided to go back for one more year. No matter your opinion of his decision, it has to be commended that he knows what his direction in life is.
Improving his stock might be part of the decision to return but probably isn’t the only one. Right now Love isn’t projected to be selected in the first round, but solid combine might change that. He certainly has the skills to make that happen, but by returning he’s dragging out what would have been a one-day tryout into another full season audition.
The continuity of returning helps the team as a whole and displays Love’s team-player mentality. That’s not a physical tool but it’s something that makes him look even better in the eyes of coaches who might be considering him. That’s a quality that can’t be taught, and Love has it on top of all the physical tools that make him a dynamic weapon.
Love returning for one more year might be a questionable move in the eyes of football fans, but it’s nothing but music to the ears of fans at The Farm.