Brandon Jackson has declared for the NFL draft.
"Coming off a good year at Nebraska, I felt like the situation and timing was right for me to advance to the professional level. My decision was not based on the last game of the season. It was based on the opportunity in front of me to play at the next level in the NFL.
Jackson finished 35th in rushing at Nebraska, which means we didn't get to see enough of him. I wish he'd stay for another year, but that's not to be.
One thing to appreciate about Jackson, and the other backs - Kenny Wilson, Marlon Lucky, Cody Glenn - is that we haven't seen any complaining from them about their situation regarding sharing playing time.
It's not that hard to understand why Jackson is going out this year - it's a weak draft year for running backs. He has a better chance of beating this group out and getting a better draft position than he would if he waited a year.
The two top backs in the draft are Adrian Peterson and Marshawn Lynch (California). After that are the oft-injured and inconsistent Kenny Irons (Auburn) and Michael Bush (Louisville), who broke his leg in the first game of the season. Several other backs will be in the draft:
- Antonio Pittman, Ohio State
- Kenneth Darby, Alabama
- Lorenzo Booker, FSU
- Tony Hunt, PSU
- Selvin Young, Texas
Worse-case scenario for Jackson, who will be drafted, is the rookie minimum active salary of $285,000.
Those are the reasons why Brandon Jackson is entering the draft.
Jackson is a class act, I wish we'd have seen him one more year in Husker Red, but I wish him the best of luck in the NFL.