A few years ago, Cardale Jones sent a tweet questioning why college football players had to attend class, having enrolled at universities on football scholarships. With the NFL Draft looming, Urban Meyer thinks school may have hindered Jones’ development as a quarterback.
After three seasons at Ohio State, Jones declared his intention to enter this year’s NFL Draft. However, his stock isn’t as high as it would have been had he left after helping the Buckeyes to wins in the Big Ten Championship Game, Sugar Bowl, and BCS Championship game the previous year.
Whoever selects Jones will have a project on their hands. A good thing could be that he will be able to focus all of his time and energy on football, and not have to worry about classes.
“A really good skill set, intellectual, very smart, wasn’t necessarily very good at school,” Meyer told the Akron Beacon Journal. “I wonder if that kind of set him back a little bit. That’s one difference between pro and college. Now he doesn’t have to worry about classes and going to school and all that stuff. He can focus completely on football.”
Jones is physically gifted, blessed with size, athleticism and a strong arm. On the other hand, accuracy, inability to go through progressions, and lack of focus have been cited as areas needing improvement, according to scouts.
Some may view Meyer’s comments as a shot at Jones. Others will see it as an honest assessment. Whether they prove to be true and Jones’ development accelerates as a pro, of course, remains to be seen.
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