Bruce Campbell‘s departure to the NFL is more than simply expected. It’s the continuation of an annual trend of one player at Maryland slipping out the door a year early at Maryland.
That’s not a bad thing, per se. Guys leaving early usually means talented guys leaving early.
SEE RELATED:
Including entrants to both the regular and supplemental drafts, some quick (emphasis on quick if it turns out slightly askew) research shows only 11 schools had one player bolt early for such purposes after each of the last three seasons. Those would be the 2006-08 seasons, and the 2007-09 drafts:
* Arkansas
* California
* Florida
* Florida State
* Maryland
* Michigan
* Ohio State
* Southern California
* Tennessee
* Texas A&M
* Virginia
There are names you expect to see. And then there’s some that seem just a wee bit out of place given the place of those programs in the last half of the decade. And don’t worry, this chart will be re-visited once the early entry list is finalized.
Anyway, this will be the eighth straight year Maryland had someone turn pro early. Basically, it’s happened every season since Ralph Friedgen arrived other than his first (when E.J. Henderson obviously had a chance to depart).
The rundown, with Campbell included (*-supplemental draft):
| Player |
Year |
Round
|
FB James Lynch
|
2003 |
ND |
DT Randy Starks
|
2004 |
3 |
LB Shawne Merriman
|
2005 |
1 |
TE Vernon Davis
|
2006 |
1 |
| T Jared Gaither |
2007 |
5* |
LB Erin Henderson
|
2008 |
ND |
WR Darrius Heyward-Bey
|
2009 |
1 |
T Bruce Campbell
|
2010
|
TBA |
—- Patrick Stevens
