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Final Monday, every bit Bayou wrote nigh, the Football game Writers Association of America unveiled its 2015 All-America team. Irish players Ronnie Stanley, Jaylon Smith, Volition Fuller, and Sheldon Day were all selected to either the first or second team.

While the collegiate career of Sheldon Day will conclude on Jan. i no affair how much we all might like him to stick around, the other three all take a choice to make about whether to declare for the NFL draft or not. If each wanted to return, they all have a yr of eligibility remaining to farther their mark in ND history. Forth with Smith, Fuller, and Stanley, breakout senior C.J. Prosise volition likewise (theoretically) be making a decision betwixt returning for a 5th year versus taking his chances in the NFL waters. The question I enquire is: Who should stay and whoshould go?

There is a subtle simply important stardom to exist fabricated on the forepart. I am not necessarily making a prediction on whether or not I call up theywill become merely rather from a strict self-interested perspective what the player has to gain and lose by selecting between his options. Let's take each of the iv candidates in order from "definitely should leave" to "definitely should stay":

Ronnie Stanley (UND.com)

Definitely Should Go out: Ronnie Stanley – This marks a second straight flavor of rising for Stanley amidst the college football lineman rankings.

Stanley had a very strong 2014 season. He was named Notre Dame's Offensive Lineman of the Twelvemonth and appeared to gain momentum on a near hourly basis leading upward to the deadline to declare for the NFL Typhoon.

As the deadline approached, a visit and talk from Brian Kelly swayed Stanley to return for his senior season to continue to improve. Stanley made a variety of preseason lists and found himself at or near the top of numerous "NFL Prospect" lists for offensive linemen.

He did little throughout the season to diminish his draft stock: another year of health; another season of great pass protection and being part of a line that improved significantly in the rushing game should in no mode tarnish his likely position in the top x of side by side year's draft. Most of the lists put Stanley every bit the expected second offensive lineman off the board behind Laremy Tunsil of Ole Miss.

There'south nothing left to show and nowhere left to go for Stanley for draft purposes. To forgo an opportunity to be a top 10 pick in the NFL Draft for a 2d fourth dimension goes from loyal and cautious to outright crazy. Stanley can leave Notre Dame with his degree and continue the great lineage of ND offensive lineman at the next level. Stanley'due south 15 yr NFL career would exist over by the time yous could come up with a good reason for him to stick around in 2016.

Notre Dame's Jaylon Smith (ix) celebrates a big stop in the Wake Forest ruby-red zone during the Notre Matriarch-Wake Woods NCAA college football game on Saturday, Nov. 14, 2015, at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend. SBT Photo/ROBERT FRANKLIN

Should Well-nigh Definitely Get out: Jaylon Smith – Expect, this hurts to write.

Would I dearest to run into Jaylon stay effectually one more season to terrorize opposing offenses? Admittedly.

Can I make you the sales pitch that he should stay around to go his degree (ane of the major reasons Smith stated he came to ND in the first place) and complete the mission? Sure.

Those are expert, noble things that "ND Men" practise.If Jaylon comes back for another year, those two things are basically the only reason for doing so. From a football standpoint, he's ready to move on and probably should.

I've seen people brand comparisons between Smith and Te'o, which is kind of a silly comparison. They may both play linebacker and requite yous the feels, but they are quite unlike players who played in unlike systems.

From a raw physical standpoint, Smith is far superior to Te'o. In fact, Smith is far superior athletically to the vast majority of people to play the linebacker position. For the past 2 seasons, he'due south spent a lot of his time covering up the mistakes of an otherwise unremarkable linebacker grouping who has also had its share of injuries.

Smith's consistency, ability to cover one-half of a field by himself, and health make him a acme prospect for the adjacent level. Linebackers rarely go in the height five-10 of the NFL Draft, but many of the experts think Smith volition comfortably find himself drafted that high. He's also a guy that I think could, if possible, actually raise his draft stock at the NFL Combine. Wait and lookout man Smith run a 40-time faster than several of this year's running back prospects and listen to the effusive praise that will follow for his character.

From a football standpoint, there'south cypher left for him to practise. Some people will suggest he could get bigger or stronger, just he can do that but as easily (probably easier in fact) at the adjacent level where he no longer has to concern himself with classes. I get the impression, without knowing him, that Smith genuinely enjoys being a educatee at Notre Dame. It would not stun me to run across him stay, simply he certainly doesn't need to. Like Stanley, there'due south really nowhere higher he can go as a draft prospect, and of the 4 guys I'm discussing in this post, he might have the most to lose should an injury befall him given the NFL'due south reluctance to typhoon linebackers high to begin with.

(Photo Credit: AP)

On the Debate: C.J. Prosise – When Greg Bryant was declared ineligible and Tarean Folston tore his ACL, my center sank quite a chip. It seemed like the chances of Notre Dame finally establishing a ascendant rushing attack had been foiled yet once more.

Even with the glowing reports from the coaching staff that came out of spring practise regarding C.J. Prosise's transition to the dorsum field, it was impossible to see the season that Prosise put together coming. Prosise had just the second 1,000 grand rushing season in the Brian Kelly era (Cierre Forest, 2011), and his 6.half dozen yards per carry ranked 3rd in the Brian Kelly era backside 2015 teammate Josh Adams (7.v) and Jonas Gray in 2011 for backs who had at to the lowest degree 500 net rushing yards. Prosise exceeded expectations in every way imaginable.

The argument for Prosise leaving is straight forward: one) The 2015-sixteen expected running dorsum group for the NFL Draft is noticeably weaker than the expected 2016-17 group. Amidst players probable to declare only Ohio State'due south Ezekiel Elliott and Alabama'south Derrick Henry would clearly be ahead of Prosise. The NFL Combine and pre-draft workouts would help figure out where Prosise might fall among the adjacent group which includes UCLA's Paul Perkins, Wisconsin'due south Corey Clement, and Utah's Devontae Booker.

The 2016-17 class could potentially include Leonard Fournette, Nick Chubb, Dalvin Cook, and Christian McCaffery but for starters. Thus, Prosise may notice information technology easier to proceeds traction in this year'southward draft than in next twelvemonth's.

2) Bold wellness (which given the final couple of flavour'southward seems similar an awfully large assumption), it seems unlikely Prosise would be able to friction match his volume of production next flavor. Tarean Folston should exist back to full health by the time next autumn rolls around. Josh Adams has done everything and more to demand an expanded role in the crime, and the squad still needs to detect a way to go Dexter Williams more touches. It's a nice problem for Brian Kelly's staff to have in terms of trying to find touches for so many talented players, merely information technology might as well be enough to convince Prosise that his best move is to leave following this year.

Information technology'southward a pretty stiff statement. If Prosise decided to exit, I'g not sure I would blame him. Nevertheless, I'k less convinced than others that Prosise is just naturally a NFL back. Prosise does not possess the downhill skills of a Gurley, Fournette, Chubb, Elliott, Henry, etc. that make NFL teams lose their listen. Prosise is a deceptive back with better than average speed and runs more physical than yous think, but he also showed a tendency to get nicked up at times. That injury trouble may raise a few red flags for NFL teams about spending a high draft pick on him no affair how weak the draft class is. Information technology's just hard to envision the team that would want to use fifty-fifty a second round pick on Prosise and slot him prominently into their immediate running plans.

I recall the skills that Prosise will bring to the NFL that is most desirable is his athletic versatility. The aforementioned skill that allow him be recruited as a defensive back, show flashes of greatness at slot receiver, render kicks, and eventually break out at running dorsum is what I recollect NFL teams volition like him the most for. That skill, along with demonstrating merely a little more than durability, can merely be enhanced by returning for ane more season where his part volition nearly certainly evolve one more fourth dimension. Yep, I practice remember his touches in the back field might diminish, merely I practise not think his function would diminish. Given his 2015, it will just be up to Mike Sanford and Brian Kelly to decide how they want to utilize the Irish'southward near limitless Swiss army knife. Whether that's enticing enough for Prosise to stay remains to exist seen.

Virginia fans react as Notre Dame'southward Will Fuller (7) scores on a touchdown laissez passer with UVA's Maurica Canady (26) falling later attempting to stop the play during an NCAA college football game game in Charlottesville, Va., Saturday, Sept. 12, 2015. (P. Kevin Morley/AP)

Needs to Stay: Will Fuller – It'due south strange to think that Notre Dame's biggest playmaker, record-setter, and 2d team All-American is the most in demand of another year. And yet, that's the state as things stand now.

Over the past two seasons no one has made more important catches than Will Fuller. How of import is Fuller to the criminal offence? Go back and sentinel the last two seasons. No one's played a greater percentage of offensive snaps (I'm estimating hither) than Fuller who rarely comes off the field. His speed and ability to create space have made him an invaluable nugget to the Kelly crime. He's a difficult worker who may not be the best blocker on the team simply is more than than willing to help stop plays.

The issue – and this is kind of important for a receiver – has been his hands. For every big, game-irresolute take hold of on Fuller'south highlight reel, at that place seems to be a costless inexplicable driblet on the routine catches.

Simply put: Fuller'due south hands need piece of work in lodge for him to succeed at the next level. The skill about coveted at the NFL level for receivers is the ability to brand catches in traffic, and that's by far Fuller's biggest weakness. Whether this is something he tin change over the course of one more than season might be a bigger question, just Fuller's got the well-nigh to proceeds by coming back and showing greater consistency on the ordinary. Fuller's already pointed towards a return next season, and that's a good thing. His pocket book and NFL hereafter might thank him for that deferred conclusion downward the line.

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Part-Fourth dimension Blow Difficult

Survivor of the Davie, O'Leary, Willingham football eras. Southern. Charming and generally the wittiest person at his dinner table (he eats alone quite a bit).

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