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Heisman runner-up skipping NFL draft

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Heisman Trophy runner-up Bryce Love will return to Stanford for his senior year.

The news was first reported by the San Francisco Chronicle Tuesday after Love’s father texted it the news.

“Bryce will return for his senior year!” the text read, reported the Chronicle.

Love made the decision just before the Monday night deadline to declare for the draft.

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Love, a first team All-American running back, rushed for 2,118 yards in 2017, good for second in the nation. He scored 19 touchdowns in leading the Cardinal to a 9-5 record and a final ranking of 20th in the country.

Love set an NCAA record with 8.1 yards per carry in 2017, beating the previous mark of 7.8 yards per carry set by Nebraska’s Mike Rozier in 1983.

Despite his ridiculous numbers, Love was projected to be the ninth-best running back in the draft, according to Bleacher Report’s postseason player rankings.

Based on that assessment. it’s doubtful the 5-foot-10, 196-pound Love would have gone in the first or second rounds.

It’s a pretty deep class for running backs as many draft boards had Penn State’s Saquon Barkley, Louisiana State’s Derrius Guice, USC’s Ronald Jones, Georgia’s Sony Michel and San Diego State’s Rashaad Penny, among others, listed ahead of Love.

An NFL.com scouting report of Love from October said, “Love is an intriguing back with the skills and production to entice evaluators looking for a rotational back with big-play potential. If he can master the nuances of route running, he can rival his predecessor Christian McCaffrey as a versatile offensive weapon.”

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He finished second in rushing yards to San Diego State’s Penny, who ran for 2,248 yards.

Love’s 2,118 yards was the 15th-highest single season total of all time. Penny ranks fifth all time.

For his career, Love has 3,126 yards on the ground. Another 2,000-yard season next year could put Love in the top 20 in career rushing yards.

His best game of the 2017 season came in a 34-24 win over Arizona State where Love had 301 yards on the ground on 12 yards per carry.

With Love coming back, he’s not only one of the favorites for the 2018 Heisman, but Stanford should be considered a top 10 team next year.

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Dave is a lifelong sports fan who has been writing for The Wildcard since 2017. He has been a writer for more than 20 years for a variety of publications.
Dave has been writing about sports for The Wildcard since 2017. He's been a reporter and editor for over 20 years, covering everything from sports to financial news. In addition to writing for The Wildcard, Dave has covered mutual funds for Pensions and Investments, meetings and conventions, money market funds, personal finance, associations, and he currently covers financial regulations and the energy sector for Macallan Communications. He has won awards for both news and sports reporting.
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