Mississippi State quarterback Dak Prescott will go back to college for his senior year rather than filing for early NFL draft eligibility. The Bulldogs star junior' announced his decision formally Wednesday afternoon, and his return will give coach Dan Mullen the SEC's most accomplished and talented quarterback in 2015.
In touting his return, MSU released video of Prescott's highlights via social media:
It's a move that will not only give Prescott another year to develop his skill set, but make MSU a legitimate contender in the SEC West, as well. Mississippi State won 10 games this season for the first time in 15 years thanks largely to the 6-foot-2, 230-pound dual-threat quarterback. Prescott accounted for 41 touchdowns this season (27 passing, 14 rushing) and 4,435 yards of total offense (3,449 passing, 986 rushing). Explosive offensive numbers plus Mississippi State's 9-0 start to the season combined to garner some Heisman Trophy attention for Prescott, but a loss to Alabama on Nov. 15 all but knocked him out of the hunt. He finished eighth in the Heisman voting with two first-place votes.
Thursday marks the NFL's deadline for college underclassmen to file for early draft eligibility. From that point, those who declare have 72 hours to withdraw without harming their NCAA eligibility.
Prescott's return will certainly come as no surprise to ESPN broadcaster Brent Musburger. The veteran play-by-play announcer said on the Orange Bowl broadcast that Prescott had told him he would return to MSU in 2015, but Prescott denied making the statement following the Bulldogs' 49-34 loss to Georgia Tech.
Other top quarterbacks coming back for another college season include Southern Cal's Cody Kessler and Michigan State's Connor Cook. Two other Mississippi State players, linebacker Benardrick McKinney and running back Josh Robinson, have announced they will apply for early draft entry.
*Follow Chase Goodbread on Twitter **@ChaseGoodbread*.
