As much as I want him at UTEP, if I am him I am gone after this year. Tonight he has showed everyone he is as good of a back as anyone in the country. And the night is not even over.
Aaron Jones
- Thread starter DAYDEV
- Start date
Especially when you are as overworked as he is. Last week there was no reason for him to be on the field the last drive and this week they just try to run the ball over and over and over. I agree, he should jump to the NFL after this year.
He needs to stick around another year to build his strength. He's not yet ready for the NFL. He would be wise to stay for his senior year.
And take another 25 - 30 carries a game? All those carries he takes is going to hurt his draft stock. Go to the NFL AJ, we'll forgive you.
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I say if he rushes for over 1500 yards, then he should leave not under. He needs to make sure he's guaranteed being drafted in the top 3 rounds
Why on earth would you encourage one of our best offensive players in years to leave? With friends like these...
Lol not encouraging but we can't be selfish because we want to win. You have to look out for the kid. Players have a shelf life and when your door is opened you have to step through it. They can't try and keep him around and then something happens next year to mess up his future. If he can leave with a good draft round he needs to leave. He is as good as anyone he plays against.
Jones should do what's in HIS best interest, not UTEP's and certainly not Kugler's. That said, I have severely conflicting feelings about the "right" choice. Jones is an excellent football player, but he will always face concern about consistently playing against non-P5 programs, from both a competition and a durability standpoint, call it the "best player on a bad team in bad league" syndrome. And a small career sample against P5 competition is insufficient to conclusively decide to invest a high/mid level draft choice in a player. He's gained 20+ lbs and seems to have maintained his speed, certainly positive signs, but he cannot avoid a history of injuries. So, part of me says, he stays, gets even bigger and faster, dominates his senior season, gets serious PT in post-season all-star games, and goes in 1-3 round.
OTOH, Kugler ALSO has a history - he has misused and abused Jones since his freshman year, IMHO. Now, Kugler's first obligation is to his team not to Jones, I get that. But anybody who follows this program - even at a distance - knows he runs the most uncreative offense in college football and has unnecessarily run Jones into the ground and jeopardized his health, even as recently as this year's NMSU game. That he's padding Jones' stats is not in question. The question is why? He runs a one-dimensional offense that just begs 8-9 men in the box. He has not complemented with legit specialty players (QB, WR, etc.). Stop Jones and you completely shut down UTEP. Even Houston Baptist will get that. And please, don't try the "but we have the biggest OL in college football" line. They're not that good.
Bottom line, if I'm Jones, his father, and his advisor (no, NOT an agent), I have some soul-searching off-season discussions with Kugler looking for some serious answers and commitments before making my final decision.
OTOH, Kugler ALSO has a history - he has misused and abused Jones since his freshman year, IMHO. Now, Kugler's first obligation is to his team not to Jones, I get that. But anybody who follows this program - even at a distance - knows he runs the most uncreative offense in college football and has unnecessarily run Jones into the ground and jeopardized his health, even as recently as this year's NMSU game. That he's padding Jones' stats is not in question. The question is why? He runs a one-dimensional offense that just begs 8-9 men in the box. He has not complemented with legit specialty players (QB, WR, etc.). Stop Jones and you completely shut down UTEP. Even Houston Baptist will get that. And please, don't try the "but we have the biggest OL in college football" line. They're not that good.
Bottom line, if I'm Jones, his father, and his advisor (no, NOT an agent), I have some soul-searching off-season discussions with Kugler looking for some serious answers and commitments before making my final decision.
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I understand he's graduating, so he wouldn't sit out a year, but knowing him and his family who love EL Paso and this is they're home, that won't happen. He'll see it through and if he stays through his Senior year he'll be a 1st or 2nd round pick
How many running backs went in the first two rounds this past draft?
Two.
How many running backs went in the first two round in the 2015 draft?
Four.
2014 - 3
2013 - 5
2012 - 5
Every single one of those players, other than Doug Martin from Boise, are from a "power" university. I love AJ, but there's almost zero chance he's drafted in the first two rounds.
Two.
How many running backs went in the first two round in the 2015 draft?
Four.
2014 - 3
2013 - 5
2012 - 5
Every single one of those players, other than Doug Martin from Boise, are from a "power" university. I love AJ, but there's almost zero chance he's drafted in the first two rounds.
I am kind of in the middle with Jeeber and Laser. You can point to the differences in play of p5 versus mid-major, but if Jones has a great post season all star performance and combine, I would bet that he would go within the top five rounds. No one knew about Brian Urlacher at UNM (Miner fans did. The Paul Smith vs Urlacher game at the Sun Bowl was a great game) until he busted on the scene with incredible all star game performances.
