Our own Justin Dottavio wrote about these five juniors-to-be who might leave school early.

Let’s take a look at this year’s huge senior class and whether any of them will be drafted in 2019. This class is noted for being Al Golden’s last recruiting group, and they’ve been mentored under CMR with what will be 3 steady seasons. There are players who’ve entertained or reached greatness at the U, while some will be hardpressed to get a pro try out.

Round 1 and 2: Michael Jackson and Gerald Willis

If Miami has the kind of year I’m hoping for, you can expect Michael Jackson or Gerald Willis to at the very least be mentioned as rounds 1 or 2 talents. Jackson finished last year with 4 interceptions and is thickly built. A better year could lead to second round grade. Maybe I’m buying into the hype, but Willis has been hyped up heavily this off season. He recently won Miami’s defensive leadership award. Also, plenty of people have written about Willis’ changed attitude.

Round 3 and 4: Jaquan Johnson and Demetrius Jackson

Some may argue that Jaquan deserves a better grade, though he’s a bit undersized for his position. Jaquan has been steady since he started playing for Miami. I can see scouts falling in love with his game tape and determining Jaquan to be a mid round pick. Before injury, Demetrius walked the walk. He’s notably active in the community and his play is just as good. Expect Demetrius to assume the roll Chad Thomas left behind. He’ll be really good this year and a strong value pick moving forward.

Round 5, 6, and 7: Sheldrick Redwine, Malik Rosier, and Tyree St Louis

Redwine to me is a steady player, but has lacked the skill to be great. He isn’t amazing at anything but he’ll play the game right. That’s why Redwine could get drafted. Tyree should be strong up front but I feel his max potential is around the 5th round mark. Malik could easily play himself out of football entirely during the season. He might be replaced by either freshman behind him on the depth chart. And Malik could put up astronomical numbers, leading Miami to an ACC championship and beyond. He’s too much of a variable not to put on this list.

That’s my look into our next senior class. Lots of steady performers, and several have a chance to be great. First things first, Miami must perform on the field. Players perform best when they are winning. Scouts want to see winning. So if we exceed expectations in 2018, expect a lot of our juniors and seniors to get their named called draft night.