Jeremiah Smith is the latest Ohio State player to contest the legality of a long-standing rule regarding NFL Draft eligibility. And he kind of has a point.
Years ago, it was former Ohio State running back Maurice Clarett that challenged the status quo that collegiate football players had to wait three years before entering into the NFL Draft. The US Supreme Court ultimately ruled in favor of the NFL, which kept the rule in place to this day.
But Smith has a point, if he so chooses to take the case to court, to prove that may not be the case anymore. I think the most important case against letting players go to the NFL after high school or even a year after college is that they aren’t physically ready.
And this is the strongest argument in my opinion. Not all players are built like Smith where physically, they’d be fine competing against the world’s best athletes. And with NIL taking more of a precedent, it could be time to change the rule because it’s not like a player would go the NFL to make money.
They could easily make more money in college rather than forcing a move to the NFL just for a bigger pay day. It’s a tricky subject, but Smith may have a point if he pushes the issue.
It might be time for a rule chance in NFL Draft eligibility as the landscape of college football has changed dramatically
The biggest argument around changing what’s now becoming an outdated rule is that players can make money in college. So the non-NFL ready players won’t feel the need to rush for a pay day.
That said, what’s the rush for a player that is NFL ready to go, knowing, one they’ll get to the NFL eventually and two, they’re already being paid. In a way, Smith has no need to rush to the NFL.
He’s probably making just as much as he would if he were drafted in the first round and gets a chance to develop. Again though, how much more development does a player like Smith need in college.
When Clarett brought his case to the NFL, he was ready to start getting paid. It made sense to challenge a rule that necessarily didn’t need to be in place.
If Smith decides to bring forth his own case, it would simply be to get out of college as soon as possible. It’s how college athletics have changed over the years.
Tradition doesn’t mean the same as it once did in college sports, at least for the big programs and big players. College is a stepping stone for the most premier athletes. So why would a player unnecessarily spend more time in college than they have to?
Smith is absolutely ready to play in the NFL now. He should have the choice to leave now if he wants. But he also shouldn’t be mad that he has to stay another two years. There’s no harm in it now that he’s getting paid pretty well for his NIL.