[Austroturf]

I fully understand his decision to go to the NFL this year.  Those opportunities are precarious, especially for a guy with a history of injuries.  That said, I'd the stars aligned, I'm sure he would have benefited from at least one full season as a starter in college, before trying to lead an NFL team....

Agree.  Since 2015-2016, there has been a sea change in the attitude of college players with NFL aspirations.  Once your draft stock reaches a certain level, any additional game at the college level could potentially jeopardize your chances.  So bolt as soon as the mock draft has you at a high enough level, skip any meaningless bowl games and do not risk injury.  The extra year of experience that Mills might have gained with an additional season at the college level had to be weighed against the injury potential.  More relevant for Stanford now, McKee could bolt after just one season owing to his two-year Mormon mission.  Let's assume he closes out the season with stellar play, excites the pro scouts and is positioned as a 2nd or 3rd round draft pick.  Would he come back for his red shirt sophomore season?  Maybe, but he would be incurring a risk.  The times when we could count on an excellent player to stay for his entire eligibility are over.  No more eras defined by a top shelf QB like Luck or Hogan.  And in retrospect, KJ Costello should have bolted after the 2017 season.  His draft stock had not peaked, but he would have entered the NFL healthy and on an upward trending curve.

[Austroturf]

I fully understand his decision to go to the NFL this year.  Those opportunities are precarious, especially for a guy with a history of injuries.  That said, I'd the stars aligned, I'm sure he would have benefited from at least one full season as a starter in college, before trying to lead an NFL team....

Agree.  Since 2015-2016, there has been a sea change in the attitude of college players with NFL aspirations.  Once your draft stock reaches a certain level, any additional game at the college level could potentially jeopardize your chances.  So bolt as soon as the mock draft has you at a high enough level, skip any meaningless bowl games and do not risk injury.  The extra year of experience that Mills might have gained with an additional season at the college level had to be weighed against the injury potential.  More relevant for Stanford now, McKee could bolt after just one season owing to his two-year Mormon mission.  Let's assume he closes out the season with stellar play, excites the pro scouts and is positioned as a 2nd or 3rd round draft pick.  Would he come back for his red shirt sophomore season?  Maybe, but he would be incurring a risk.  The times when we could count on an excellent player to stay for his entire eligibility are over.  No more eras defined by a top shelf QB like Luck or Hogan.  And in retrospect, KJ Costello should have bolted after the 2017 season.  His draft stock had not peaked, but he would have entered the NFL healthy and on an upward trending curve.