Will EJ be back for a senior season?
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No, he is projected to be drafted in 3rd/4th round. No way he comes back if that's the case. RBs have short life in the NFL. Has to get the money if he can.
He's one guy I'd spend a bit of NIL money to keep around another year. NFL running back is a tough job and a lot of good college players end up with very short NFL careers there. The guys that seem to last these days are the beasts like Derrick Henry.
I would love to see him return but if he could go early in the draft and the money is too good…he gone!
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Why would he? To pad his stats and go 5-7 next year? I think not.
He will not return. We need to develop the players behind him, and possibly find a good back in the portal.
No idea if EJ would come back. Kind of a double edge sword for him. NIL is great so come back for another season. He seems like a great teammate and puts the team first.
But with the season he is having, does he take a risk that next season is not as good or gets hurt. Seems like NFL RBs do not last as long and maybe the earlier you go in the better.
But with the season he is having, does he take a risk that next season is not as good or gets hurt. Seems like NFL RBs do not last as long and maybe the earlier you go in the better.
Lol, he can't pass block, doesn't have top end speed, is average in the pass game and is still averaging like 5 ypc against a weak schedule. USC's rush defense nearly gave up 400 yards against Notre Dame. EJ is good for Nebraska, and will certainly "hold out" for more money, but it is a huge risk to give up 250k in college to go and get cut in the NFL. I assume he asks for more than a practice squad player just to be safe.
The new model for an NFL running back is 5' 8"- 5'10" 210-220. I love EJ but he really need to gain some muscle and weight if he going to play pro ball in the NFL, I don't know if he's even playing at 200 pounds right now. I know Rhule is going to tell EJ to go pro but I believe EJ really does need to gain weight and muscle one more year and if he does he could go in the first three rounds of the NFL draft 2027. If EJ goes pro after this year I feel most NFL teams will be leery of his physical make up and maybe take him towards the end of the draft. I could be way off on this but I feel he should take out a big insurance policy and huge NIL deal and stay one more year. jmo
EJ lacks the top end speed of a Jahmir Gibbs or the power of a Derrick Henry. You have to have exceptional traits to play in the NFL. He IS elusive and runs hard with burst and vision, but I think if he can pocket 2 mil+ playing one more year he ought to do that. Just making an NFL roster is hard and most guys won't last more than a couple seasons. I see him as a 3rd-5th round, probably the latter.
He is 5'11'' and 201 pounds and fights for most of his yards. We are going to see him pop off a 200 yard game if Lateef has to start from here on out. Lanes will open up for him.
I doubt he is playing at 201 pounds currently, he probably some lost pounds playing last night from the heavy load he carried. He still needs to gain more muscle and weight to play pro ball. EJ has what it takes to run between the tackles and he catches the ball very well but he will have to get bigger in order to pass protect at the next level. Staying one more year and working on his body will increase his chances tremendously at the 2027 draft.
I think his NIL value will be somewhere in the range of $500k - $1m. I'd spend that to keep him but $2m is an overpay.
I’ve stood next to Turner Gill in PO pears, Marlon Lucky in Brothers and Rex Burkhead in the tunnel before a game. Theres no way any of them weighed what they were listed at at the time. EJ is pretty small. He might have been 200 at some point in the off season. I doubt it now.
Before someone tries to bring up Ameer Abdullah as a small back who has made it at the NFL level let me remind everyone he is what I call the NFL standard for RB's as far as range. Ameer is 5'9" 203LB or something in that neighborhood and is built to take some hits. Rex Burkhead was 5'10" 215LB built to take hits and run, catch and protect. EJ has a lot of work to do before he is ready for the NFL draft and I hope Rhule doesn't push him out.
I just hope EJ makes it through the rest of the schedule healthy. Our running game starts and ends with him, and I'd hate to see what the offense would look like without him. The back-ups barely have 100 combined yards in 6 conference games.
He’s developing at the same pace as his fellow members of Rhule’s first recruiting class:
Not at all
Isiah Pacheco isn’t much bigger and has done pretty well for himself. Just have to be in the right offense.