Posted by Chip Patterson

Former Alabama cornerback and 2012 NFL Draft prospect Dre Kirkpatrick did himself no favors with potential employers by getting charged with possession of marijuana less than a week after declaring for the draft. But according to the Sports Business Journal's Liz Mullen, the charges against Kirkpatrick have been dropped.

The details of the arrest indicate that Kirkpatrick claimed to be unaware of the drugs' presence when he was a passenger in a truck driven by former Alabama player Chris Rogers. The vehicle was pulled over in Bradenton, Fla. after being spotted driving on the wrong side of the road.

Kirkpatrick is listed as the No. 10 overall prospect in the 2012 NFL Draft, and Rob Rang has the Tide cornerback drafted by Dallas at No. 14 in his most recent NFL Mock Draft. Pro Football Talk's Evan Silva suggested that the arrest likely would not affect Kirkpatrick's draft stock, but the dropped charges should assist in putting this matter away and moving forward.

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Posted by Tom Fornelli

The saga that has been Bryce Brown's college football career is reportedly moving in a whole new direction. ESPN's Joe Schad is reporting that Brown is strongly considering not returning to school next year and instead will enter the NFL Draft. A decision that no doubt raises some eyebrows.

Brown's college career has been an interesting one, but also one that hasn't seen much time on an actual football field. As a high school senior in Kansas, Brown was widely considered to be the second best running back prospect in his class, behind only Trent Richardson. While we all know how Richardson's career turned out at Alabama, Brown's has gone the opposite direction.

Brown originally signed with Tennessee in 2009 and after gaining 460 yards on 101 carries as a freshman, Brown transferred to Kansas State where he joined his brother, Arthur Brown. Brown sat out the 2010 season and came into 2011 expected to take over the starting role in the Wildcats backfield. Instead Brown lost the starting job to John Hubert and only carried the ball 3 times for 16 yards before leaving the school midseason.

Now it seems he's ready to give the NFL a try rather than returning to Kansas State or transferring once again. Which, to be quite honest, doesn't seem like the wisest of decisions if that's the one Brown does indeed make. While Brown may have been a top prospect coming out of high school, there probably aren't a whole lot of NFL teams who will be knocking themselves over for a chance to draft a kid with 104 career carries in the last three years.

In order to get drafted Brown would likely have to blow scouts away at the combine. He's much more likely to go undrafted and sign as a free agent somewhere and hope to make a roster or a practice squad.

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Posted by Tom Fornelli

Though LSU lost the BCS National Championship Game to Alabama, there's still plenty of reason to be optimistic in Baton Rouge because the Tigers are a young team that will be returning most of its starters on both sides of the ball. However, Morris Claiborne and Michael Brockers will not be among those returning.

The school announced on Thursday that both players were leaving school to enter the NFL Draft.

“There are different times for guys to leave our program and the things that both of these men have done is have consistent growth as people and as student-athletes academically,” said Les Miles in the school's release. “Both men have been very humble in their approach to learning football. It started at a level much less to the level they are at now. They improved and improved and became tremendously competitive. They have put themselves in a position to enter the NFL Draft early at an advantaged position.

“Mo is expected to be in the top 10 players if not in the top five players selected in the NFL Draft. The opportunity to improve his draft position really doesn’t exist. I think Michael Brockers has the potential to improve his overall draft position but is making in my opinion a decision that allows him to fulfill an obligation to his family. Both men have done everything we have asked them to do, and they have both represented this program in an exemplary way both on and off the field. We are going to miss them. They are quality men. I have been fortunate to call up a huddle with these guys in it. I can tell you that their teammates will miss them as well.”

Claiborne is widely considered to be the best cover corner in all of college football, even if Tyrann Mathieu received more national attention for his playmaking ability. Which is why Claiborne won the Jim Thorpe Award this season, given to the best defensive back in college football. Claiborne finished the 2011 season with 51 tackles and had 6 interceptions and 6 passes broken up.

He's the top-ranked cornerback in CBSSports.com's position rankings, and is projected to go as early as third overall and no later than sixth in our mock drafts. 

Brockers is a redshirt sophomore who had 54 tackles, 10 for a loss and 2 sacks from the defensive tackle position. He also blocked a field goal and had an interception.

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Posted by Tom Fornelli

if Alabama plans on defending its national championship, it'll have to do so without two of its most talented players from the 2011 team. It was announced at a press conference on Thursday afternoon that running back Trent Richardson and defensive back Dre Kirkpatrick were all leaving school to enter the NFL Draft.

While both players are great, Trent Richardson is the biggest household name, as he went to New York this season as a Heisman finalist. Richardson rushed for 1,679 yards and 21 touchdowns for the Tide in 2011 and finishes his Alabama career with 3,860 total yards and 42 total touchdowns. Richardson is ranked as the top running back in the 2012 draft class by CBSSports.com, and is projected to go in the first five picks of the draft.

As for cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick, he's not exactly a slouch. Kirkpatrick had 29 tackles and broke up 9 passes this season while also forcing 2 fumbles. He did not have an interception in 2011, but that's because opposing quarterbacks tested him as little as possible. CBSSports.com has Kirkpatrick ranked as the second best cornerback prospect in the 2012 draft, behind only LSU's Morris Claiborne. He's expected to go within the first ten picks of our mock draft.

So if it wasn't already clear, this is a lot of talent leaving Tuscaloosa early, and it doesn't even include the seniors like Courtney Upshaw and Mark Barron that are graduating. Of course, this is where we point out that Alabama had four players drafted in the first round of last year's NFL Draft, and that loss of talent didn't stop the Crimson Tide from winning a national title this season.

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Posted by Chip Patterson

Toledo all-purpose wide receiver Eric Page has had a change of heart, and plans to enter the 2012 NFL Draft. After the Rockets' 42-41 victory over Air Force in the Military Bowl on Dec. 28, Page gave the impression that he would return for his senior season. After receiving more information on his potential draft position, the 2010 All-American return man has decided to forego his senior season and turn pro.

“It’s always been my dream to play in the NFL and I think right now is a great opportunity for me,” Page said. “This would have never been able to happen without my teammates, coaches and my family.”

CBSSports.com currently has Page listed as the sixth-best wide receiver in the 2013 class, but the junior informed the Toledo Free Press that his projection is between the third and fifth round in the 2012 NFL Draft. All-purpose threats like Page often can improve their draft stock in combines, using their speed and athleticism to wow NFL scouts.

Page leaves Toledo as the school's all-time leading receiver with 306 career receptions, tied for most in Mid-American Conference history with Jordan White (Western Michigan 2007-11). He earned All-American honors in 2010 as a returner and was a 2011 finalist for the Paul Hornung Award, given annually to the most versatile player in college football. Page averaged over 172 all-purpose yards per game this season, finding the end zone 12 times in 13 games.

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Posted by Tom Fornelli

In a rather surprising decision, LSU wide receiver Russell Shepard announced that he was leaving school to enter the NFL Draft on his Twitter account Wednesday. Shepard said that it was "a hard decision to make" but that he had "to do what's best for me and my family." Whether leaving school to go pro is doing what's best for Shepard and his family remains to be seen.

He wasn't expected to leave school, and as a result, he's not even listed on CBSSports.com's top draft prospects at wide receiver. Even if he had been listed, there's no guarantee that Shepard would be drafted.

After coming to LSU as a quarterback, Shepard was moved to wide receiver, and while he had a fair share of rushing attempts in his three years with the Tigers, Shepard only caught 52 passes for 478 yards and 5 touchdowns. Only 14 of those receptions, and 4 touchdowns, came this season. This is due to the suspensions that Shepard had to deal with in 2011.

There was a housing issue that he was cleared of, but he was suspended for three games due to an NCAA violation after talking to the NCAA about his relationship with Willie Lyles. It was because of this suspension that he was passed on the depth chart by freshman Odell Beckham Jr. who joined Reuben Randle as LSU's starting receivers.

And that's likely the reason why Shepard has decided to leave the school. For further evidence, you don't have to look past his Twitter account once again. Shortly after LSU's 21-0 loss to Alabama on Monday night, this tweet appeared in Shepard's timeline.



The next tweets on his timeline were the ones that explained he was leaving school, so I hardly think it's a coincidence.

Shepard has until January 18th to withdraw his name from the NFL Draft should he choose to do so. 

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Posted by Tom Fornelli

Reports were circulating on Tuesday that Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin had begun informing people at Baylor that he'd be leaving school to enter the NFL Draft, but the news wasn't official until Griffin made the announcement himself during a press conference on Wednesday afternoon.

The announcement doesn't come as much of a surprise, as there really isn't anything left for Griffin to accomplish on the college level. He's already graduate from school, has a Heisman Trophy and has helped lead the Baylor football program to a place very few ever thought capable. Taking the next step in his football career and becoming a professional is the only logical move for Griffin to make.

Griffin is ranked as the the second-best quarterback, and fifth player overall, on Rob Rang's Big Board, and he's projected to be an early first-round pick in both CBSSports.com's mock drafts. Both Rang and Dane Brugler see Griffin and his Superman socks going fourth overall to the Cleveland Browns in this spring's draft.

Griffin finishes his college career having thrown for 10,366 yards and 78 touchdowns. He also rushed for 2,257 yards and another 33 touchdowns, routinely being one of the most exciting players to watch in the entire country.

Now he'll try and bring the same amount of excitement to the next level.

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Posted by Tom Fornelli

Aaron Murray will be short one big target next season. Georgia tight end Orson Charles announced on Wednesday afternoon that he would forego his senior season in Athens and enter the NFL Draft.

“I want to thank God, the University of Georgia, our coaches and the fans for building me up spiritually, mentally, physically and emotionally over the last three years,” said Charles in a release.  “The fans stuck with us through a rough season last year and through our struggles this season and our coaching staff provided me with the tools necessary to make it in football and in life.  Either decision I made, I want to be able to look back at it and be happy with the choice I made and I think I will withthis decision.  It was difficult but not stressful to be in a situation where you can’t go wrong either way.”

Charles finished third on the Bulldogs in 2011 with 45 receptions for 574 yards and 5 touchdowns. He had 94 catches for 1,370 yards and 10 touchdowns in his career at the school.

The 6-foot-3, 241-pound tight end looks to become one of the latest athletic tight ends that have become a huge force in the NFL the last few seasons, like Rob Gronkowski, Aaron Hernandez, Jermichael Finley, and Jimmy Graham before him.

In CBSSports.com's NFL position rankings for draft eligible players, Charles is ranked third behind Clemson's Dwayne Allen and Stanford's Coby Fleener. While he's not projected to be a first round pick, he should go no later than the third round.

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