Who're Leaving to NFL?

Hey guys, I hope you stay warm and safe. It's been crazy cold yesterday and I know that some of you are without power. As the matter of fact, my friend stayed over at my apartment last night for the same reason.

Anyway, check out NFL mock draft: http://collegefootball.ri...

Malcolm Kelly, Reggie Smith are projected to be 1st draft picks. Will they leave or stay?

Curtis Lofton is also weighing on leaving early if he is on top 15. But chances are he's going to stay. Knock on wood.

If I have an opportunity to snatch millions of $$ right in front of my eyes (legally, of course) I'd take that chance and go at it in a second. But hey, that's just me.

I really hope that these guys will stay. With the current Sooners lineups, our chances to go to MNC next year will be huge. Who wouldn't want a piece of that? Plus, they have the chance to further enhance their stock draft.

http://newsok.com/article...

All signs point to Lofton returning to Sooners in '08

NORMAN — Curtis Lofton shook his head a bit with just about every question that concerned leaving Oklahoma early and entering the NFL draft.

He was neither angry nor disgusted.

He was amazed.

"It's just weird, you know,” said Lofton, who acknowledged Friday that he has filled out paperwork so he can be evaluated by NFL scouts but that he'll likely return unless he's projected to be drafted in the top 15. "Going into this year, no one would probably be thinking of asking me questions like that.”

Indeed, there were questions about the junior linebacker before the season, but they weren't anything like the ones being asked now about Lofton.

Now: Will he be back for his senior season? Will he leave the Sooners for NFL dollars?

Then: Will he be any good?

Not so long ago, the biggest unknown about Lofton was whether he could hold down the starting middle linebacker spot for the Sooners. It's a key position in the defensive scheme run by Brent Venables and Co. Plays are funneled to the linebackers, especially the middle linebacker, then it's up to them to make the play.

Lofton had played some the past couple seasons, but no one knew if he could handle it full time.

Even his buddies back home in Kingfisher had their doubts.

"So, uh, where you gonna play at next year?” they asked this time last year.

"What you talking about?” Lofton would ask.

"This Mike Reed guy coming in, he's supposed to be a juco all-American.”

Lofton would just chuckle.

"Well, I'm going to work the hardest I can,” he'd tell them, "and hopefully I'll find a spot somewhere.”

He chuckled again last week recounting that story.

And why not?

Lofton is now the all-American, the star with all the accolades, the one causing the Sooner Nation to clamor. Everyone is worried that if Lofton leaves, it will decimate the linebackers.

Considering the big-time plays and bigger-time performances that Lofton has made this season, his departure might do worse than hurt the linebackers. He is the most indispensable part of that unit, after all. More important than Auston English or DeMarcus Granger, Reggie Smith or Nic Harris.

Remove Lofton, and the defense just isn't as good. That's not a knock on the rest of the Sooners but rather a reflection on just how good Lofton has been.

All signs, by the way, point to Lofton being back. NFL draft guru Mel Kiper currently has three linebackers projected in the first round; Lofton is not among them. Even though Kiper has yet to include early entrants in his projections, he has Lofton fifth among underclassmen linebackers.

Chances are, Lofton will not be a top 15 pick.

And yet, it's not crazy to think Lofton belongs in the conversation about the NFL draft. Just look at how outstanding he's been for one of the best college defenses in the country.

Lofton still can't help being a little sheepish about all this NFL talk.

"Just being from Kingfisher, a little small town, and being able to actually think about going to the NFL is just kind of astonishing,” he said. "Kind of funny everybody asking me questions about this.”

And with that, he shook his head one last time.