Rival Views: Which player's early departure decision was a mistake?
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 underclassman made a mistake by leaving early and should have returned to school.
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FARRELL'S VIEW: CLEMSON WR RAY-RAY MCCLOUD
To me it’s Ray-Ray McCloud from Clemson because, as a smaller wide receiver and return man, he projects as a middle- to late-round pick. Had he returned to Clemson and put up big numbers, he could have improved his stock, added even more speed and possibly been a third rounder or in that area.
There are others, like Kahlil McKenzie from Tennessee, Kyle Allen from Houston, Deon Cain from Clemson, Jalen Wilkerson from Florida State and even Lamar Jackson from Louisville, but I’ll go with McCloud.
McCloud's career numbers at Clemson – 127 catches for 1,226 yards and only four scores – are as lacking as his size. Unless he runs a 4.35 or below, he’s made a big mistake.
GORNEY'S VIEW: HOUSTON QB KYLE ALLEN
More than 100 underclassmen declared for the NFL Draft, which sets a new record and that means not every one of them made the best decision. Kyle Allen is one of those players because he does not have much traction going into the NFL Scouting Combine, pro days and workouts with pro teams.
That is especially unfortunate because the former five-star quarterback from Scottsdale (Ariz.) Desert Mountain had so much promise when he signed with Texas A&M. When that didn't work out, Allen transferred to Houston to reignite his career. That didn't work out, either, and he lost his job early this season.
But leaving for the NFL does not seem like the right thing to do. Maybe he could have returned to Houston and battled for the starting job again. He certainly has the talent and it's not like the Cougars are insanely loaded at the position. Maybe Allen understands especially in a quarterback-rich draft class that he won't get drafted early, if at all, but that he'll have an opportunity to impress some NFL teams who might take him later on or sign him as a free agent and then he can work his way into the league that way.
Some Clemson players like wide receivers Deon Cain and Ray-Ray McCloud and some guys from Florida State including Jalen Wilkerson and Matthew Thomas are not making the best decisions to leave early, either. But Allen tops the list of guys that should have stayed in school.