[terry]

I personally don't consider anyone getting a degree as leaving early - i.e. Nelson and Dudchock. From a purely football standpoint it's more complicated: it's not clear to me that Nelson and Dudchock would have been invited back for a fifth year, but from a purely Stanford football perspective the team lost more from having potential fifth-years Yankey, Fleming, and Reynolds leave for a shot at the NFL. We've had a smattering of that kind of early exits over the past few years. Next year Peat might be an interesting case. If all goes well it seems he would be projected as a high draft pick next year, towards the end of his true junior year. We haven't had a player leave for the NFL before four years (and I hope a degree) in a long time. Luck was the most famous case where the NFL was clearly an option after junior year. We'll see what Peat wants to do.

I believe Nelson and Dudchock weren't offered a 5th year. And I agree that they aren't really "early departures."

I agree that Peat will be an interesting case. I think the last football players to go into the NFL draft after three years were Kwame Harris and Teyo Johnson. Before them, Bob Whitfield. There also have been some football-baseball players who left after three years to go into the baseball draft -- Chad Hutchinson, Joe Borchard, Darin Naatjes, Tyler Gaffney. Zach Hoffpauir might do that this year. (BTW, most or all of the guys who left after three years came back and got their degrees.)

[terry]

I personally don't consider anyone getting a degree as leaving early - i.e. Nelson and Dudchock. From a purely football standpoint it's more complicated: it's not clear to me that Nelson and Dudchock would have been invited back for a fifth year, but from a purely Stanford football perspective the team lost more from having potential fifth-years Yankey, Fleming, and Reynolds leave for a shot at the NFL. We've had a smattering of that kind of early exits over the past few years. Next year Peat might be an interesting case. If all goes well it seems he would be projected as a high draft pick next year, towards the end of his true junior year. We haven't had a player leave for the NFL before four years (and I hope a degree) in a long time. Luck was the most famous case where the NFL was clearly an option after junior year. We'll see what Peat wants to do.

I believe Nelson and Dudchock weren't offered a 5th year. And I agree that they aren't really "early departures."

I agree that Peat will be an interesting case. I think the last football players to go into the NFL draft after three years were Kwame Harris and Teyo Johnson. Before them, Bob Whitfield. There also have been some football-baseball players who left after three years to go into the baseball draft -- Chad Hutchinson, Joe Borchard, Darin Naatjes, Tyler Gaffney. Zach Hoffpauir might do that this year. (BTW, most or all of the guys who left after three years came back and got their degrees.)