Why Sam Darnold Won’t Leave for the 2018 NFL Draft

“Tank for Darnold” advocates should not be so hasty. USC’s Sam Darnold has a number of reasons to stick around after 2017.

USC football quarterback Sam Darnold was oddly the talk of the NFL Combine a week ago.  It’s odd because Darnold will only be a redshirt sophomore this fall, and has not even played a full season for the Trojans.

There’s been talk among football fans that NFL teams will “tank for Darnold,”  to ensure the selection of the talented signal caller.

While his lack of college experience plays a huge role in the opinion that he will stay with the Trojans past his sophomore season, it is not the biggest indicator. The reasoning stems from something a little closer to the heart.

Darnold has been a USC fan since childhood, as described in an article by Sam Fortier of The Ringer this past December. He would don the jersey of two-time national championship winning quarterback Matt Leinart and his father Mike would take him to Trojan football games every year.

It’s safe to say USC has always been Darnold’s dream school. Which means that USC is more than just a stepping stone to the NFL for Darnold. He has a history with the Trojans, one that spans longer than just 10 games.

Darnold wore the No. 11 cardinal and gold jersey of a national champion as a child. Putting a No. 14 version out into the world, must be a thought in the back of his head.

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It’s hard to imagine he would leave early, especially before bringing a national championship trophy back to Heritage Hall.

Also, it’s no secret Darnold is a perfectionist, and what’s a better symbol of perfection than the College Football Playoff National Championship Trophy?

Granted, a national championship title in 2017 does pose a valid speed bump in the theory. That’s a reason Darnold might forgo his junior and possibly senior season, having accomplished his playing goals. Delivering on that is no sure thing though.

Continuing on the perfectionist route, Darnold’s love of preparation should be taken into consideration.

Before he was awarded the starting job, Darnold was a backup quarterback to Max Browne, the Trojans’ veteran who had been waiting his turn behind Cody Kessler for three years.

Darnold could do nothing but hone his craft, prepare every day as if he was already the starting quarterback, making sure he was ready if called upon by Clay Helton. His preparation payed off.

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The time and effort Darnold put into perfecting his position was a huge reason Helton felt comfortable leaving the team in the hands of a redshirt freshman.

It could be that to Darnold,  a little under two full seasons as a starting college quarterback isn’t enough prep time for the NFL, especially with the pressure than comes from being a high draft pick. And a lot of people would agree with him.

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Most importantly, there’s the degree aspect.

Before selecting a school to commit to, Darnold came up with a number of factors he felt were most important for his college to have.

Number 1 on his list, even above playing time, was “post-graduate employment opportunity.”

Clearly, graduating with a USC degree is a top priority for Darnold. One that might be hard to meet if he leaves after next season with less than three years of academic progress under his belt.

Given his attachment to USC, his academic focus here’s a strong chance we will continue to see Darnold in cardinal and gold after next year’s NFL Draft.