Darnold, Rosen decide to leave school early and enter the draft
They departed just as they arrived, both generating plenty of hype and lofty hopes.
Only now quarterbacks Josh Rosen and Sam Darnold will do their enticing in the NFL.
UCLA’s Rosen and USC’s Darnold announced Wednesday they were leaving college early to enter the NFL draft as projected first-round picks, revealing their plans within minutes of each other. Rosen wrote a farewell on Twitter and Darnold posted a video on Instagram.
Rosen left one season of college eligibility on the table; Darnold, who redshirted his first season at USC, two. But their choices surprised few.
Rosen thanked his teammates and coaches, and also acknowledged his teams never fulfilled expectations.
“I wish we had won more games,”
he wrote, “but friendships were forged and memories were made that will last a lifetime.”
Said Darnold: “I have been blessed that my life has been full of memorable moments and wonderful people. The people who have been involved in making me the man I am today have prepared me for the life and decisions that I have to make in the future.”
Both players have the size and athletic tools sought by NFL teams. Each is listed at 6 feet 4; Rosen at 218 pounds and Darnold at 220. Rosen is known for his crisp delivery, arm strength and accuracy; Darnold for his leadership and his ability to extend and make plays.
Darnold was first-team All-Pac-12 Conference this season; Rosen was the second-team choice.
Rosen became UCLA’s top single-season passer in 2017, his 3,756 yards surpassing the 3,740 that Brett Hundley, now with the Green Bay Packers, compiled for the Bruins in 2012.
Rosen set the mark despite missing two full games and parts of two others because of concussions that kept him out of UCLA’s 35-17 loss to Kansas State in the Cactus Bowl. Rosen wanted to play in the bowl game and even went through warmups but was held out as a precaution by doctors who did not want to risk him suffering a third concussion in less than two months.
Darnold avoided injury problems, even while leaving the pocket far more often that his UCLA rival. He passed for 4,143 yards this season, becoming the first USC quarterback to jump the 4,000-yard mark. However, he also accounted for 13 interceptions and nine fumbles — the 22 turnovers more than 94 college teams.
In last week’s 24-7 Cotton Bowl loss to Ohio State, Darnold passed for 356 yards but was also sacked eight times, fumbled twice and had a pass intercepted that was returned for a touchdown.
Rosen and Darnold join an NFL draft class of quarterbacks that will include Josh Allen of Wyoming, Heisman Trophy winner Baker Mayfield of Oklahoma, and, possibly, 2016 Heisman winner Lamar Jackson of Louisville.
The Cleveland Browns, 1-31 the last two seasons, have the top pick in the NFL draft. Next comes the New York Giants, Indianapolis Colts, the Browns again — with a pick obtained from Houston — and the Denver Broncos. Those teams were a combined 12-52 this season.
Rosen was 17-13 as a college starter, which was mostly reflective of UCLA’s deficiencies running the ball in 2016 and its inability to stop the run in 2017. The offensive line also struggled to protect Rosen, who missed the final six games of 2016 after suffering a shoulder injury.
The Bruins will be missing Rosen’s favorite target as well. Jordan Lasley, who this season became the first UCLA receiver to gain 200 yards receiving in back-toback games, also declared for the draft on Wednesday.
Darnold was 20-4 as a starter for USC, leading the Trojans to a pair of top-10 rankings, winning a Pac-12 championship and starring against Penn State in one of the most memorable Rose Bowls ever.
“Thank you Sam Darnold for being the person, player and man of char- acter that you are!” USC coach Clay Helton wrote on Twitter in the wake of Darnold’s announcement. “You are a true example of what it means to be a Trojan.”
In other UCLA news, new coach Chip Kelly is moving Angus McClure back to tight ends coach, said a person close to the situation who was not authorized to comment publicly on the matter because it has not been formally announced. McClure, who has been at UCLA since 2007, most recently served as defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator.
Kelly also hired Vince Oghobaase as defensive line coach, Roy Manning as special teams coordinator and former Bruins quarterback Jerry Neuheisel as a graduate assistant, according to multiple reports.
Frank Wintrich was hired as the team’s strength and conditioning coach after spending the last two seasons as Virginia’s director of football performance.