The Conundrum of Chuba Hubbard: Does he declare for 2021 NFL Draft?

What do we make of the season of Chuba Hubbard?

If you were to ask someone who the top running backs in college football were before the season started, most people would mention Oklahoma state running back Chuba Hubbard. After considering a declaration for the 2020 NFL Draft, Hubbard made the choice to return to school for the 2020 season.

Unfortunately, this season has not gone quite to plan for him. Most people had Hubbard as a top-5 back prior to the season. He had his flaws, but his return to school was meant to alleviate those concerns.

Now that the season is concluding, there might be more questions than answers, however. Through seven games, he has rushed for 625 yards and 5 touchdowns on 4.7 yards per carry. Now that might not seem awful, but just last season, he rushed for nearly 2,000 yards on 6.3 yards per carry, so this is quite the regression to the mean. To make matters worse, Hubbard suffered a leg injury a few weeks ago that has kept him sidelined.

The decision Hubbard will have to make about a declaration for the 2021 NFL Draft will be a difficult one. Prior to the season, Hubbard was considered a top prospect by many and could’ve heard his name called on day-two of the draft. Now that he has been underwhelming this season, that draft status is up in the air. Hubbard has a decision to make, and there are a lot of factors to consider in order to make it. To declare or not to declare, that is the question.