Is Irish QB Kizer leaning toward draft? … With their team’s season’s still underway, most underclassmen thinking of entering the 2017 draft took the political correct route and generally said when asked that hadn’t really thought about it and/or would be talking with their families and coaches once the season was done. Of course, the majority of top prospects still have bowls to play so, for the most part, they will continue to defer to the future when talking about their football futures. However, the seasons of players whose teams did not qualify for a bowl are now over and we could see them start to indicate what are their plans. Notre Dame redshirt sophomore QB DeShone Kizer, for example, just didn’t sound like a guy sticking around school when he talked about his future after the Irish’s loss to Southern California which left them at a disappointing 4-8. Kizer confirmed that he has asked the NFL Draft Advisory Board for a report on his draft prospects and that will be part of the process of information gathering. At the same time, though, Kizer was also quoted as saying that “To be a member of this 2016 Notre Dame football team means quite a bit to me. There’s so much that has happened this year that I’m going to learn from and build from. It’s pretty much priceless. I can go back and watch a lot of good film and go through a lot of great games and learn from them. Hopefully, I can make this season one of the most valuable seasons I’ve been a part of.” And that just doesn’t sound like a guy looking forward to returning to school. Of course, what happens to Irish head coach Brian Kelly could also impact Kizer’s decision. There have been reports that Kelly is looking at other options, although they have been studiously denied by Kelly. Stay tuned
