Miami (FL) offensive tackle Ereck Flowers will forgo his final year of eligibility and enter the 2015 NFL Draft.
Flowers has skyrocketed up the mock drafts due to his successful junior campaign. ESPN’s Todd McShay has Flowers going in the first round of the draft, with his latest mock predicting Flowers will land a roster spot with the New York Giants.
At 6’6 and 330 pounds, Flowers has the size and frame to be a very successful left or right tackle in the NFL. Flowers helped running back Duke Johnson have his best season since stepping foot on campus. Johnson ran for 1,652 yards and ten touchdowns on 6.8 yards per rush. He too announced his intentions to enter the NFL draft.
The Hurricanes had a very disappointing season this year to say the least. After being picked to win the ACC Coastal division before the season began, Miami failed to live up to the hype and struggled down the stretch. Much of their early season woes were a by-product of starting a true freshman at quarterback, Brad Kaaya, who took longer than Miami fans would have liked to get comfortable.
However, Miami dropped their last four games of the year and finished with a 6-7 record.
The Hurricanes have still not reached an ACC championship game and many are wondering if Al Golden is the right man for the job. In four seasons, Golden has the same record (28-22) as former head coach Randy Shannon. However, Shannon was fired after his fourth season in Coral Gables but athletic director Blake James insists Golden will be back for his fifth year at Miami.
Interestingly enough, Duke Johnson’s mother asserted that most players would no longer be Hurricanes if transfer rules didn’t force players to sit out an entire season after doing so.
It seems that Golden will have one more year to prove he is worthy of coaching the Hurricanes. If Miami struggles again, James might have no choice but to let him go.
*Section Photo credit to Michael Shroyer, Getty Images; Featured Photo (above) credit to Kim Klement, USA Today Sports.
