"Baby Arian Foster" is on his way to the NFL, it's just a question of when the underclassman decides to enter the NFL draft.
Utah running back Devontae Booker drew the Foster comparison from an NFL scout who spoke to Sports Illustrated's Inside Read, and has some striking similarities to the Houston Texans' top rusher.
"He runs just like (Foster), same number, not a lot of expletive] when he scores," the scout said. "... He's good. It's weird how much he's like [Arian Foster. Just wait until they give him the rock more."
Utah is indeed giving Booker the rock more. After carrying 11 or fewer times in each of Utah's first three games, he's carried at least 24 times in the Utes' last four, all performances of 100-plus yards, including six touchdowns. That stretch has included wins over UCLA, USC, and a season-high 229 yards at Oregon State. Foster, meanwhile, is enjoying what could ultimately be the best season of his career, perhaps two games away from his fourth 1,000-yard campaign with nine games left in the regular season.
While Booker might be flattered by a skills comparison to Foster, he surely wants nothing to do with the Foster model where the NFL draft is concerned. Foster went undrafted in 2009 and had to make the Texans roster the hard way. As Foster proved, and as others are showing this season, there is plenty of impact to be made for undrafted free agents. Nevertheless, the scout who made the comparison doesn't project quite such a bleak draft outlook for Booker. He sees the junior as a late-third to fifth-round pick, if he chooses to enter the 2015 draft.
If not, the Utes figure to have one of college football's top rushers at their disposal next season.
*Follow Chase Goodbread on Twitter **@ChaseGoodbread*.
