Florida coach chats with underclassmen who may leave school early for 2020 NFL draft

A major decision looms for all underclassmen who are considering whether to return to school or enter the 2020 NFL draft.

That’s why Florida coach Dan Mullen spent time this week talking to all of the Gators’ draft-eligible players in an attempt to educate them after the process.

“We’ve been able to sit down and meet with a bunch of those guys about their future, about the process and get a jump start on that,” Mullen told FloridaGators.com.

“The big key to that, to me, is all we want is guys to make good decisions and have success with that. You know, so guys that are going to get drafted in the first or second round, that they know that, they feel good about it, this is what you need to do to maintain that draft status.”

Cornerbacks C.J. Henderson and Marco Wilson and wide receiver Trevon Grimes are the most likely candidates to leave school early, the website says. Henderson (6-1, 202) is the No. 22 overall prospect in the latest Fanspeak big board.

Overall, Mullen told the website that he would likely have serious discussions with around 8 Gators who may show interest in leaving early.

For those thinking about making the jump to the pros, former Gator edge rusher Jachai Polite serves as a cautionary tale. Polite entered the 2019 draft after picking up 11 sacks as a junior, but he fell to the third round after memorable – and not in a good way – performances at the Combine and Florida’s pro day.

Polite then became the first New York Jets rookie drafted within the first three rounds to be cut before the start of the season.

Afterward, Polite spent less than a month on Seattle’s practice squad before he was cut again, this time landing on Los Angeles’ practice squad, where he remains.

Around this time last season, though, most draft analysts thought Polite was a shoo-in for the first or second round.

Mullen told FloridaGators.com that he wanted the players considering a jump to the NFL to get a “complete picture.”

“Make sure you’re doing these things, get drafted and then you made a great decision to leave,” Mullen told the website. “And educating guys that maybe shouldn’t, say, ‘Hey, these are reasons you should stay. Here’s how it affects you. This is why this is what we see happening in the future for you.’ It’s just that they and their families are very educated to make the best decisions for their future.”