The college football season is now down to the bowls, and for national championship purposes, it has come down to three games: the two College Football Playoff semifinals, followed by the national championship game a week later. In the first of the two semifinals on Saturday, December 29, the Clemson Tigers play the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the Cotton Bowl in Arlington, Texas. One of the elite players in that game is Clemson defensive end Clelin Ferrell, who is a junior that is debating whether to stay in school for his senior year or go to the NFL Draft. As a result, BetDSI has posted on odds on whether he’ll return for one more year or declare:
Will Clemson’s Clelin Ferrell declare for NFL Draft?
Yes -250
No +150
NFL Draft Placement If Ferrell Goes Pro
The NFL is a league in which it is easier to play offense than ever before. Pass interference rules are very strict, giving the advantage to receivers over defensive backs. The rules on late hits and roughing the passer are also very strict, aiming to protect quarterbacks from vicious hits in a very violent sport. Offensive coordinators are also getting creative by using college concepts, such as the Kansas City Chiefs with Pat Mahomes. In this world, NFL organizations know they need devastatingly effective defensive players. More precisely, they need awesome pass rushers who can slow down these high-flying aerial shows.
Related: College Football Betting Guide
Most draft projections have Ferrell being a top-10 pick in this draft. The draft experts subdivide their picks and projections into categories, and in the category of edge pass rushers, Ferrell is widely seen as the No. 2 choice behind Nick Bosa of Ohio State. Nick Bosa’s older brother, Joey, is a star pass rusher with the Los Angeles Chargers, so the Bosa name carries a lot of weight and owns a great reputation. Ferrell is right behind Bosa, though, which speaks to how much NFL talent evaluators respect his ability. If Ferrell doesn’t stay in school and instead chooses to go pro, he will be taken very early.
College Football Playoff
Ferrell and Clemson lost in the College Football Playoff semifinals last season. This season, Clemson faces Notre Dame, a team the Tigers ought to defeat, in the Cotton Bowl. If Clemson loses to Notre Dame, maybe Ferrell will think that he has unfinished business to deal with as a senior. That might improve the odds that he will stay at Clemson in 2019. If Clemson beats Notre Dame and advances to the national championship game, it is harder to think that Ferrell will stay. If Clemson wins the national title, Ferrell would have nothing left to prove in college. It would be very easy and obvious for him to leave.
Redshirt Status
The thing to keep in mind about Ferrell is that he isn’t just a junior – he is a redshirt junior. Ferrell redshirted in his 2015 season at Clemson, which meant that 2016 was his first full season as a Tiger. This is now his third full season of collegiate football. Ferrell is 21 years old, and everyone knows that football players generally are better served if they enter the NFL having accumulated fewer hits, fewer bumps and bruises. The idea of Ferrell going to the NFL at age 22 in 2019 will likely make him a lot less attractive to general managers and head coaches. This part of the situation might be the detail which most strongly points toward Ferrell entering the NFL Draft and declaring his intent to go pro.
