Written by Kevin Skiver at CBS Sports.com
USC quarterback Sam Darnold is one of the players being watched most closely by NFL teams heading into the new college season. It has already being speculated that he may go first overall in the 2018 draft. Darnold, however, doesn’t want teams to take the wheels off to get him. Several teams snatched up quarterbacks in the first round of the 2017 draft, which changes the 2018 landscape a bit, but Darnold is hoping that whatever team picks him isn’t completely awful.
In an interview with ESPN’s Michael Smith and Jemele Hill, Darnold — who is a way-too-early front-runner for the Heisman — said that he’s heard of the hype. When Smith mentioned a “Suck for Sam campaign,” Darnold didn’t downplay that it exists, but he certainly didn’t offer much in the way of feelings on it. “I don’t really have many thoughts about that,” he said. “But I’ve definitely heard of it.”
Sam Darnold: No team should tank their season because of me.https://t.co/NDvO9N9d0V pic.twitter.com/haLmEpNxgE
— CollegeFootball 24/7 (@NFL_CFB) July 11, 2017
When Hill pressed him, asking if it was flattering, Darnold added: “I don’t think any team should tank their season because of me.” The New York Jets may be early contenders for Darnold, with a current quarterback competition that consists of Josh McCown, Bryce Petty and Christian Hackenberg. The Jets were in dire need of a quarterback heading into the 2017 draft, but after drafting safety Jamaal Adams in the first round, it became apparent that they were planning to sit on their hands for a different guy. Darnold may be that guy, but only time will tell.
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