NFL Draft 2014: George Uko likely to declare?
USC Trojans defensive end George Uko (90) reacts against the Fresno State Bulldogs in the Las Vegas Bowl at Sam Boyd Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
The USC Trojans defense is loaded, and they showed it by holding Fresno State quarterback Derek Carr to a poor performance on a national scale. Everyone was watching Carr, who is a projected top ten pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, but the USC defense and star wide receiver Marqise Lee stole the show.
According to “separate sources” close to Tony Pauline, USC Trojans defensive lineman George Uko will “likely” declare for the draft, and Pauline added in his tweet that Uko “told people” that he would like to declare for the draft. At one point, Uko was expected to stay in school, but it now seems like he will leave USC, since others have speculated that he will leave.
Earlier this month, Uko requested an evaluation from the NFL Draft Advisory Board, but information on his projection has not been leaked at this time. Teammates stated that Uko would stay in school, but just about everyone else is saying that he will declare. That’s definitely going to be the case if his projection was favorable, and I would be surprised if Uko is playing for USC next year.
A projected 4-3 defensive tackle, the Pac-12 standout hasn’t put up the most eye-popping numbers, he’s still been solid for the second straight year with seven tackles for loss, five sacks, and 36 tackles. This is a guy who brings plenty to the table as a run defender and can also put pressure on the quarterback. Uko is a solid draft prospect, and he’s a guy who could see his stock change significantly in the pre-draft process. He was ejected from yesterday’s game, but that’s not going to affect his draft stock at all.