How do you think this season's success will affect draft decisions?
Just curious to wonder which of the potential NFL draft decisions could be based on team success, ie a dissappointing season pushes guys to leave...or return for the ever popular "unfinished business." Do you think a 9 win season, vs a Big 10 title/playoff semifinal loss vs a National title yields different results?
Trying to answer your question directly, getting close may prompt some with a close decision to stay. A poor season or a national championship will push some on the fence to leave. Some will leave regardless.
In general, we would probably lose more players to the draft after a strong season, championship or no. Just because that would mean more players lived up to their potential and/or avoided injury.
With football in particular, I think guys come back if they don't like their draft odds but otherwise they leave when they can. But they'd certainly like to get some hardware on the way out.
Every year there are guys who don't like where they are projected in the draft, but go because they believe they will improve their standing in the combine and in workouts.
In the aggregate, are they more likely to go back to school instead if they are on contenders with unfinished business? I think so.
I don't think the season's results have much of a direct effect on departure decisions. Maybe one person makes "unfinished business" a factor, but probably not.
This is, properly, a business decision. If a guy has a good chance to get drafted high, he should go. If he doesn't, he should probably stay. There are occasional exceptions for guys who are, say, 2nd or 3rd round picks who could come back and improve their position, but again, that's a business decision and has little to do with on-field results.
The only effect on-field stuff has is how these actual players do on the field. Patterson is a biggie, because if he's really good, he'll go pro... and if he's really good, the whole team is almost certainly really good, too. If Patterson is bad, he'll stay, and the team will struggle. But Patterson wouldn't stay because of "unfinished business," he would stay to get better to earn a high draft pick.
Draftegeddon NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!
Obviously would like them all to come back but I feel Hudson and atleast 1 cornerback are most important due to depth.
Another 8 win season and all the early entries will ditch. Program would be a mess if that were to happen. 2018 is gonna be an interesting year