Georgia football enters the 2018 season without Roquan Smith, who left for the NFL Draft after his junior year. Smith was one of the best linebackers in the nation in 2017.
One of the biggest “what if’s” in college football is the question of what if a certain player had stayed for their senior year. A great player leaving early may open up a hole on a team that doesn’t get filled for a few years.
Then we watch the team and look back on their records and can see where that certain player could have helped out. That one player could have been the difference between an okay season and a championship season.
To clarify, I am not bitter towards any of these players. Most college athletes come from poor or lower middle class homes. They have the chance to make a lot of money and playing one more year in college could risk that. If a junior or redshirt sophomore is projected to go within the first three rounds of the NFL Draft, they should leave early.
Honorable Mention – Dominique Wilkins
Yes he’s not a football player, but you cannot have this discussion without mentioning “The Human Highlight Film” Dominique Wilkins. The player who brought Georgia to the postseason alongside head coach Hugh Durham in the early 1980’s left school before Georgia Basketball had their best season ever.
The 1982-83 Bulldogs finished the year 24-10 and lost to North Carolina State 67-60 in the Final Four. Georgia hasn’t even advanced to the Elite Eight since that season. With Wilkins, there’s no doubt Georgia wins a few more games and maybe even wins the National Championship.