Michigan’s Jabrill Peppers has yet to make a decision on his future. Here are a few reasons why he should stay for a potentially legendary final season.
As players around the college football world continue to announce their intentions to declare for the 2017 NFL draft, Michigan Wolverines star Jabrill Peppers has remained surprisingly silent about his future intentions.
The only information we’ve been given from Peppers came in the form of a tweet saying that he has yet to make a decision, and that anything said from anyone besides Michigan or himself simply isn’t true.
No one is going to be stunned if Peppers declares for the NFL draft. He’s a potential first-round pick and coming off of a year where he was a Heisman Trophy finalist while being one of the most dynamic players in college football.
However, there are still a number of reasons that Peppers could decide to stay for another season at Michigan. Let’s take a look at a few of them.
Another Chance at a National Championship
Jabrill Peppers is already a memorable player for Michigan fans, but he still has the chance to become a college football legend. The best way to do that? Going out as a national champion.
The Wolverines haven’t won a national title in football since 1997 under Lloyd Carr. The star of that team? Dynamic defensive back Charles Woodson, who also won the Heisman Trophy that same season.
This year’s Michigan team came close to a College Football Playoff appearance, but a stunning upset against Iowa and a devastating loss in double overtime to Ohio State kept them out of the top four teams.
With Jim Harbaugh as the head coach and a roster still loaded with talent, the Wolverines could be a College Football Playoff threat once again next year. Retaining Peppers would make them an even more legitimate contender.
Who doesn’t want to go out as a champion?
Another Chance at a Heisman Trophy
The fact that Peppers was even named a Heisman Trophy finalist this season is a rare accomplishment. Few defensive players their named called to go to New York, but his four offensive touchdowns, defensive contributions and plenty of big plays on special teams helped him build a strong case.
Louisville Cardinals quarterback Lamar Jackson wound up winning the Heisman Trophy. Although he’ll be back next year for Louisville, I’m not so sure he’ll be able to put up the numbers that he did this year. Teams started to contain Jackson by the end of the year, with the Cardinals QB scoring just six total TDs in his last four games.
There are plenty of talented players in college football, but Peppers would be a legitimate front-runner if he returned to Michigan. He took snaps on offense as a running back and wide receiver while returning kicks and punts. Maybe he could convince Harbaugh to let him take even more offensive snaps next season.
Any time the ball is in Peppers’ hands, he’s a threat to take it to the house. Even if he doesn’t get more offensive snaps, a handful of return or defensive touchdowns could be enough for him to make a Woodson-esque case for the Heisman.
Improve his NFL Draft Stock
Like I said earlier, Peppers is definitely in the conversation as a first-round pick. Although I personally think that Peppers is one of the best prospects in the draft, there are others who aren’t nearly as high on him. Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller does’t think he should be drafted in the top 15, and others are even lower on him.
The biggest question for Peppers is that scouts don’t know what position would suit him best in the NFL. Some say outside linebacker. Others say safety. A hybrid safety/linebacker position is also more than possible. That uncertainty has some wondering if he can specialize at the next level.
When it comes to physical tools, Peppers is arguably one of the top two or three guys in this draft class. He’s an unbelievable athlete with elite speed and aggressiveness to make plays. However, he’s still a raw player with no defined position.
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Spending another season proving that he’s more than capable of playing defense could make Peppers a lock as a top-five pick next year. That might not seem like a huge difference, but that could mean a rookie contract worth significantly more than what he’d get as a late first rounder.
The same could be said for Peppers hurting his draft stock due to underperforming or injury. Those are valid points, and ones that Peppers is thinking about while considering his decision this year. Regardless of when Peppers decides to play in the NFL, we can at least be sure that teams will be interested.