Devin Gardner putting in work this offseason
Looks like Devin Gardner went to work with QB coach George Whitfield:
George Whitfield Jr. @georgewhitfield 3m
The Devin Gardner Project is up & runnin'! The new #Michigan leading man has been awesome! #nitro @dg1two #explosive pic.twitter.com/leJnlFvTiR
If they don't have "much of anthing to do with" it, then what does? We have had two players in the relatively recent past who likely (or in one case definitely) would have gone number 1 in the draft and chose to return for their last year of eligibility in Jake Long and Taylor Lewan. If you don't think loving the school and having a good head on their shoulders plays a role, then what do you think does? My point is some people make the choice to stay, so why is that in your opinion.
I think it's a lot different for QBs. See Barkley, for example. Everyone thought last year he would be a top 5 pick, then he comes back and has an average season and drops big time. I don't think Lewan has the same risk, as his production should stay about the same barring injury.
I'm pretty sure people were saying the same thing about Taylor Lewan weren't they? I mean, he would have gone first overall as well and he stayed. My point is people on sites like this can speculate all they want but the bottom line is it's speculation and you should throw words around like "there is no possible way". I mean let's be honest...you have no more clue what DG will do than any other guy off the street. Speculations is fine, but you shouldn't try to frame like you know exactly what will happen in things like this, because usually the players themselves don't even know until the last minute. Just sayin'.
Lewan would not have been a first overall pick had he gone in this year's draft (at least, that was the projection when he made his decision, it's possible he could have moved up from a great offseason). Had Taylor Lewan gone pro, he probably would have been picked in the top five picks (pretty good shot he goes to the Lions at 5 instead of Ziggy Ansah), but this year was chock-full of offensive linemen, and even a bit of a stumble could have dropped him to the middle of the first round or later. The Likelihood this year is that he will be able to maintain a top ten draft pick position much more easily, since the odds of his stock falling are incredibly low.
The original question asked whether Devin Gardner would stay an amateur after a college season, and the answer is absolutely not. For starters, to win a Heisman as the QB in a pro-style system like Michigan's will essentially require that Gardner is the stand out top tier candidate for the entire season, and since Michigan is playing in a second-tier conference, that's going to be even harder. It literally won't be possible for his draft stock to get any higher than it would at that point. I would be upset with him if he were to stay, because there's no possible way his future could get brighter than it would be during that moment.
All hatred aside, Prospect is a great school in a very good district. And Arlington Heights/Mt. Prospect are geat communities.
Alot of articles, interviews, etc. mention that Gardner is a gym rat and spends many hours watching film. I'd really like to see him back for his 5th year, especially if he has a great season this year.