Why cant draft prospects return to school if they dont get drafted?

You mean like the baseball draft?

NFL teams have to have some level of assurance that their selections will sign. Baseball tolerates this, but it would be a lot more impactful in football with their seven rounds.

By the time the draft rolls around college teams have already managed their rosters based on who went pro. I don't know how they could backtrack. The whole draft and signing day schedule would have to be reworked.

I'd really like them to figure out some way to do this. I'm sure a good bit of underclassman would come back if they were UFAs

IMO once you commit to go pro, you have to be gone. The team has moved on, the draft decisions have been based on who's in, and the commitment needs to stick. Otherwise you may have guys sticking their toe in the water every year, just to see where they're selected. It would screw up the entire process for both the draft and the college teams.

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Why cant draft prospects return to school if they dont get drafted?

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Most could if they wouldn't take money or hire an agent.

The agent signs them and immediately starts paying for their travel to train, car, meals, etc which guarantees they can't change their mind.

The NFL is to small of a draft to allow them to "back out" after a team has used a draft pick on them....but if undrafted, it should be ok...but, then your issue is your school signed someone with your scholly, so now there is no room left for you but to pay your own way, if it were possible to return.

Even if a guy doesn't get drafted, he will have signed with an agent.


What's more, even after he doesn't get drafted he will most likely sign as Udfa and believe me.....he will get every chance to show what he's worth.

NFL teams don't have to pay him as much since he was undrafted but he still wants a job. They will evaluate him just as much as any draftee to see if they can all play or not.

If an undrafted guy proves to be better in camp than the drafted guy, he s staying anyway. So he's fully immersed in the nfl.



Should the rule be changed? Sure but that's another question.

I agree they should be allowed to come back if they do not sign with an agent or accept money. Their amateur status would then still be intact.

In order for a player to be drafted or eligible to be a pro in football they have to declare for the draft/ turn pro. Meaning they are forgoing the rest of their college career. By declaring for the draft, you lose your amateur status.

Not getting drafted is a risk that they take. If you still have eligibility left in college, and are a projected 6th round player, most will return. But not all. They can send in paperwork to see where they will would be projected to go. If they dont like it, they can return. Nobody makes these underclassmen turn pro. Its their decision. They know that they might not get drafted. But they still take their chances. Their decision.

In baseball, players dont declare for the draft. If they are eligible, they get drafted. Doesnt mean they will go pro or sign. But a team wont risk a top pick on a player that they think wont turn pro.

If you allow the players that dont get drafted the opportunity to return to school, you have to allow all players that opportunity.

because that's fricken life.. makes an adult decision and live with it. Life is not a video game.

Their spots are also taken by incoming freshmen from a number standpoint.

Staff tries to fill 85 each year so when underclassmen announce, the staff will try and fill up the open scholly.

Probably wouldn't be able to return even if they wanted to, although I'm sure the team could find a way..