JuJu Smith-Schuster To Announce NFL Decision After Rose Bowl
USC receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster revealed on Twitter Sunday that he will make his decision to stay for his senior season or leave for the NFL after the Rose Bowl.
When will JuJu Smith-Schuster determine his NFL future? Not before USC faces off with Penn State in the 2017 Rose Bowl, the receiver revealed on Twitter Sunday evening.
While other draft prospects around the country have begun to declare their pro intentions, Smith-Schuster will wait to decide on his future.
“I will be sitting with my family and making a decision on coming back after the Rose Bowl,” Smith-Schuster tweeted. “I want to keep all my focus on winning this game.”
Smith-Schuster has hinted several times at a potential return to USC since the Trojans capped off the regular season by beating Notre Dame at the Coliseum.
After joking with reporters about returning if Adoree’ Jackson also opted to come back for his senior season, Smith-Schuster posted a snapchat video about coming back while on the way home from USC’s annual band banquet. He later told a USC spokesperson that video was made in jest.
On Saturday, Smith-Schuster’s latest tease came on Twitter, with a picture of himself and Jackson emerging from the Coliseum tunnel captioned, “To Be Continued…?”
Now Trojan fans know they’ll have to wait until the new year to find out which way Smith-Schuster’s compass is really pointing.
Before the season ended, Smith-Schuster indicated that he was 50-50 on going versus staying.
CBS Sports currently lists Smith-Schuster as the third-rated wide receiver in the 2017 class, behind Clemson’s Mike Williams and Washington’s John Ross. He comes in as the No. 18 prospect with a first round projection.
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With just a high draft grade and a history of injury concerns, it would not surprise to see Smith-Schuster cash in on his NFL future now.
On the other hand, there are some who project the receiver’s draft stock to fall once heavy evaluations begin. His injury record and relatively low production this season aren’t expected to help him in that regard.
At the same time, Smith-Schuster is just 46 catches and 696 yards away from breaking school receiving records set by Robert Woods and Marqise Lee.
The Trojans are also set up to field a talented team next year, making a run at the College Football Playoff a potentially attainable goal.