Rival Views: Biggest RB stock drop

Rivals.com National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell and National Recruiting Analyst Adam Gorney don’t always see eye to eye. In this edition of Rival Views, the two debate which star running back has hurt his NFL stock the most recently.

MORE: Rival Views: What team should be No. 4? | Farrell Forecast: Week 10

To me, this is easy. It’s Joe Mixon at Oklahoma.

I haven’t been shy about my thoughts regarding his one-year suspension after punching a female student in the face. I don’t think you give someone who does that a second chance. But I’m not Bob Stoops, it wasn’t my decision to make and I don’t know every detail, so I can judge from afar but it’s a helicopter view of sorts. But I do know one thing: If I were Joe Mixon I would make sure I was squeaky clean after getting that second chance. And now he has another off-field issue and suspension?

C’mon, man.

Mixon is a super talented kid, moreso than Jalen Hurd at Tennessee in my opinion even though both were five-stars coming out of high school. Mixon has more burst, he catches the ball better and he’s more elusive. The bottom line is that he has first-round NFL skills where Hurd has not shown those.

But now after something as silly as ripping up a parking ticket in front of the attendant that gave it to him and throwing it on the ground, NFL scouts are thinking, “What? Really? Does this guy have serious anger management issues?”

Without the first transgression, the second one might have slid by or not garnered suspension or national attention. But Mixon cannot afford to do anything wrong – nothing. And now he has hurt his NFL stock worse than Hurd, who quit on his team this week and wants to switch positions.

Not often does a team’s leading rusher quit the football team, but that’s what Jalen Hurd did and it will obviously bring up major questions for his future. The really questionable thing with Hurd, who had 122 carries for 451 yards and three touchdowns this season, is why he left the Vols.

There have been rumors that he didn’t like the offense, didn’t feel he was being used wisely, that he got benched, all kinds of stuff, but nobody has plainly come out and explained the situation.

Hurd’s mother and stepfather took to social media to talk about Hurd transferring but didn’t really give clear answers as to why.

According to one report, Hurd’s uncle took to a message board to say coach Butch Jones promised to run more I-formation, but that never materialized this season; that Hurd has been playing hurt and that it’s just time for a new situation.

Another report said that Hurd is contemplating moving to receiver or tight end at his next school, which means there will definitely be a major learning curve ahead for the former five-star running back.

Whatever is going on is anybody’s guess. But this week Jones made a big-time statement with two words. When asked if Hurd’s departure will help with team chemistry, Jones said: “I do.”

Something has clearly gone on with Hurd and Tennessee, and to quit midseason is not a good look. The NFL? Hurd has bigger things to worry about right now, like finding a new school, possibly finding a new position and moving on from an odd end to his Tennessee career.