Oregon QB Marcus Mariota has decided to enter the NFL Draft in April. Mariota made the announcement on the school's web site Wednesday, forgoing his senior season. The Ducks say Mariota filed paperwork on Wednesday, a day before the NFL deadline.
The redshirt junior set Pac-12 records with 58 total touchdowns on the season, leading Oregon to the first ever College Football Playoff championship game. Unfortunately, the Ducks were taken down by the Ohio State Buckeyes 42-20. Oregon did get the best of Jameis Winston and the Florida State Seminoles in the Rose Bowl 59-20.
Mariota and Winston are expected to be the top 2 picks in the draft to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Tennessee Titans. The exact order of the 2 is still unclear, but experts see Mariota as a better fit with the Titans, and Winston with the Buccaneers.
Mariota took home many awards to add to his collection, including the Heisman, AP Player of the Year, and Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year. He threw at least 1 touchdown in all 41 games he played at Oregon, and is 1 of 4 quarterbacks in FBS history to pass for more than 10,000 yards and run for more than 2,000 in his career.
Mariota finished the season with 42 passing touchdowns, 15 rushing, and 1 TD reception on the season. He set the Pac-12 record with 136 career touchdowns, and his streak of 41 straight games with TD pass is the second-longest in NCAA history. Only Rakeem Cato of Marshall is ahead of him with 46 in a row.
Some believe that Mariota may need some time as a backup before becoming an NFL star, but he may need to start right away, depending on where he goes. Mariota ended his college career by throwing for 333 yards and 2 TD's in the title game loss, but now his focus shifts to the NFL.
The redshirt junior set Pac-12 records with 58 total touchdowns on the season, leading Oregon to the first ever College Football Playoff championship game. Unfortunately, the Ducks were taken down by the Ohio State Buckeyes 42-20. Oregon did get the best of Jameis Winston and the Florida State Seminoles in the Rose Bowl 59-20.
Mariota and Winston are expected to be the top 2 picks in the draft to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Tennessee Titans. The exact order of the 2 is still unclear, but experts see Mariota as a better fit with the Titans, and Winston with the Buccaneers.
Mariota took home many awards to add to his collection, including the Heisman, AP Player of the Year, and Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year. He threw at least 1 touchdown in all 41 games he played at Oregon, and is 1 of 4 quarterbacks in FBS history to pass for more than 10,000 yards and run for more than 2,000 in his career.
Mariota finished the season with 42 passing touchdowns, 15 rushing, and 1 TD reception on the season. He set the Pac-12 record with 136 career touchdowns, and his streak of 41 straight games with TD pass is the second-longest in NCAA history. Only Rakeem Cato of Marshall is ahead of him with 46 in a row.
Some believe that Mariota may need some time as a backup before becoming an NFL star, but he may need to start right away, depending on where he goes. Mariota ended his college career by throwing for 333 yards and 2 TD's in the title game loss, but now his focus shifts to the NFL.
