Stanford Football: Bryce Love forgoes NFL Draft

Stanford football star running back Bryce Love made the surprising decision to come back to school for his senior year rather than declare for NFL Draft.

Bryce Love, the heart and soul of the Stanford Cardinal offense, made the somewhat surprising decision to return to school rather than declare for the NFL Draft. Talked about as a first round talent, Love was set to follow in the footsteps of former teammate Christian McCaffrey.

Love was McCaffrey’s backup a season ago, taking over full-time duties himself once McCaffrey declared early for the draft. He was drafted No. 8 overall by the Carolina Panthers and had a tremendous rookie season, helping lead his team to the playoffs.

While McCaffrey was making plays in the professional ranks, Love was closing in a spectacular junior season in California. Love surpassed McCaffrey’s phenomenal sophomore rushing total of 2,019 yards and 13 touchdowns, finishing with 2,118 yards on the ground and 19 rushing scores. That earned him an invitation to New York and second place in the Heisman Trophy voting.

He lacks the pass-catching ability of McCaffrey but his explosiveness in the backfield is unparalleled. Love ranked second in the nation among running backs in yards per carry, averaging 8.1 yards per carry.

When Love got going it usually meant good things for the Cardinal. He failed to reach the 100-yard plateau just once, a loss on the road to Washington State. Other than that he consistently kept his team in games and provided a somewhat dubious offense with a much-needed spark. Love had at least one run of 30 yards or longer in every game he played this season.

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CBS Sports ranked Love as their No. 3 running back prospect in the 2018 NFL Draft. His decision to return to school should provide a boost to guys like Ronald Jones II and Royce Freeman who could have a chance to sneak into the first round.