Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/616353
Five players with remaining eligibility — senior running back C.J. Prosise, junior wide receiver Will Fuller, senior left tackle Ronnie Stanley, junior linebacker Jaylon Smith and senior cornerback KeiVarae Russell — requested that head coach Brian Kelly receive paperwork from the NFL Draft Advisory Board to project their respective sta- tuses. "I've talked to KeiVarae, I've talked to Will, I've talked to Ronnie," Kelly said Dec. 6. "I have not talked to Jaylon yet. I've given him my feedback, and we'll see where that goes. "I hope they all come back. I don't know if that's going to be the case." Fuller told reporters in mid-November that he had decided to return for his senior season, but at the Dec. 11 Echoes Award Show it was evident he was keeping his options open. Stanley is eli- gible for a fifth season, but is assuredly headed to the NFL after deciding to return for his senior year in 2015. On Dec. 9, Bleacher Report reported that Stan- ley had decided to turn pro. On the same day, the NFL Network reported that Smith also was leaning toward the NFL Draft. Early entrants must declare by Jan. 18 in order to be included in the draft. Kelly has implemented a policy for players to not discuss their decision until the entire season is complete. ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. released an updated "Big Board" Dec. 10 and listed Smith No. 2 overall, behind only Ohio State junior defensive end Joey Bosa. Kiper also listed Stanley at No. 8, the second offensive lineman in his rankings. Kiper's ESPN colleague Todd McShay had Smith at No. 7 and Stanley at No. 9 on his top-32 list released in mid-November. Prosise checked in at No. 3 on Kiper's list of the top draft-eligible running backs, while Russell was No. 10 among cornerbacks. Fuller was not listed, presumably because he had publicly declared his intentions to return to school. In 2012, the Irish benefited from the returns of linebacker Manti Te'o and tight end Tyler Eifert on the way to the BCS National Championship Game. A year later, running back George Atkinson III, tight end Troy Niklas and defensive end Stephon Tuitt all went the opposite direction, opting for the NFL Draft. Last offseason, Stanley and defensive tackle Sheldon Day chose to return to school for their senior seasons, which certainly boosted the 2015 squad. — Andrew Owens UNDER THE DOME Senior running back C.J. Prosise, who rushed for 1,032 yards during the regular season, was among the five Irish players who requested feed- back from the NFL Draft Advisory Board. PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA