The only two Heisman candidates we know for sure that's going back to school are Oklahoma's Baker Mayfield and Louisville's Lamar Jackson. Dede Westbrook is a senior and will graduate while Deshaun Watson has pretty much already declared for the NFL Draft. Jackson is a sophomore so he has to go back while Mayfield is choosing to do so to better his draft status.
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That leaves one contender who we aren't sure about in Michigan's Jabrill Peppers. The junior has been both trashed and revered by scouts. There were some people that you can get fired for a mistake like drafting Peppers too high while one NFC executive has him as a potential top five pick. He might have given us a hint at what he could be thinking soon after the ceremony ended and Lamar Jackson won the award.
"It was a tremendous experience. Hopefully I can do it again."
- Heisman finalist @JabrillPeppers in NYC. https://t.co/Q1JZEx2gLd
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) December 11, 2016
RELATED: NFL scout trashes Jabrill Peppers: "We get fired for mistakes like that"
Peppers has played many positions this year and ESPN has been keeping that well-documented throughout the season, but that could be both a huge asset for teams and a huge setback as well. While it makes him versatile and familiar with a bunch of different positions, it also limits him at being great at any one position. That was pretty much the case for the NFL scout said who was scared to pick Peppers so high.
Peppers' 6'0", 210-pound frame is a little small for linebacker and only has one interception this year, which is too small a number for a good defensive back. However, he's been compared to Troy Polamlu by one NFC executive and we all know how that ended up for the Steelers. All it takes is one team to believe they have a great pick and to put him in position to succeed for the pick to be worth it.
[h/t Reddit]