After Georgia’s inconceivable loss to a one-dimensional Florida Gator team, the Dawgs and Todd Gurley are in a difficult position. On the one hand, Georgia still has a lot to play for, even if the team does not currently control its own destiny. It’s not outside the realm of possibility for Missouri to slip up and Georgia to rally after the Florida debacle and win out. On the other hand, with a loss to Auburn or Kentucky, Georgia would need a lot of help just to make it to Atlanta – and let’s be honest – what Georgia fan would be happy with a trip to the SEC Championship game sitting at 9-3 (or even 8-4 if the Dawgs happen to falter against in-state rival Georgia Tech for just the third time since 2000)?
So here’s the big question: Should Todd Gurley come back on Nov. 15 against Auburn when he is eligible to play? Or should he call it quits and start preparing for the NFL Draft? What will Gurley do?
Despite Gurley’s 1023 all-purpose yards and nine touchdowns in just five games, Gurley has long been written out of the Heisman conversation following his four-game suspension. No player – regardless of position or accomplishments – will win the Heisman Trophy without playing at least close to a full season. Just imagine how many yards and touchdowns he would have if he had gotten a crack at Missouri and Arkansas, which gave up a combined 417 rushing yards to Nick Chubb and the other Georgia running backs – mostly Brendan Douglas.
Georgia’s College Football Playoff hopes are also effectively gone, as a loss to two extremely inferior opponents will not look good to the selection committee, even if Georgia does win out. With the Heisman Trophy and National Championship both ultimately out of reach, for Todd Gurley, what is the benefit to coming back?
Gurley – one day – will make a killing off of his own name and likeness, regardless of whether he plays a hundred more snaps in college or zero. NFL scouts have likely seen all they need from the talented running back, and Mel Kiper even lists Gurley as the No. 1 running back off the board in the 2015 NFL Draft. In a world where running backs take a beating on nearly every snap, scouts likely would even prefer that Gurley does NOT return to the field at Georgia. Think about a star running back like a car – the lower the mileage, the better.
So does Todd Gurley come back and honor his commitment to play for the University of Georgia at least until the end of the season? Or does he stay off the field, start training for the NFL Combine and avoid putting millions of dollars at risk in the event of a serious injury? Consider the story of Marcus Lattimore. The former University of South Carolina star was once thought to be one of the top – if not THE top – NFL draft prospect at running back in college football. In a game against the Tennessee Volunteers in 2012, that all changed in an instant. Lattimore suffered a devastating knee injury, and though he was drafted in the fourth round by the San Francisco 49ers, he has yet to make it into an NFL game and is now considering retiring from football due to his injury.
For Georgia fans, that story could not have broken at a worse time. Todd Gurley has got to be thinking in the back of his head about the gruesome replays of the Lattimore injury. He’s got to be thinking about the difficult journey Lattimore took over the past two years trying to make it in the NFL, only to fall short without even seeing the field. He’s got to be thinking that Nick Chubb and Sony Michel – who has a chance of returning from his own injury this week – are more than capable of carrying the rushing attack for the remainder of the season.
So the big question remains: What will Gurley Do?
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