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

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Chuba Hubbard. Mandatory Credit: Rob Ferguson-USA TODAY Sports /

The case for returning to school

What makes Hubbard’s choice so difficult is his performance this season paired with the injury. The injury means he will miss games that would have been crucial for potentially answering any questions that could have arisen during this season.

In comparison to last season, Hubbard’s tape doesn’t seem to have improved much. He hits the home run play every now and then with that phenomenal breakaway speed he has, but his play-to-play consistency with his vision, later agility and ability to make people miss is lacking. Hubbard is a flashy straight-line athlete, but unfortunately, that’s about it. In addition to those concerns, he rarely contributes in the passing game and is sub-par as a blocker. Making his projection to the NFL quite unfavorable.

All of these concerns should result in the player making the easy decision to return to school. However, Hubbard’s usage and his issues with Oklahoma State in the summer make this quite difficult for him. If Hubbard stays at Oklahoma State for the 2021 season, he will most likely have another season of 350+ carries that will limit his longevity and durability.

Hubbard has left plenty to be desired, as Dan Schmelzer of NFL Mocks breaks down:

"“Hubbard is an explosive player who does a great job of making the most out of his current opportunity. However, playing in the Oklahoma State offense against Big 12 defenses has afforded him a perfect situation to shine in college football. He will have to adapt his game in order to survive at the next level. A pure speed back with limited elusiveness and little pass-catching prowess is unlikely to have consistent success at the next level.”"

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What seems like the more likely route for return, Hubbard could enter the transfer portal and go to a school that will feature him as a passer and less as a runner. The transfer idea might also stem from the issues that arose in the summer about Hubbard coming forward and saying that he was uncomfortable with his head coach, Mike Gundy, wearing a shirt of a news network that was found offensive.

Chuba Hubbard was a vocal leader of that movement and even though Gundy said he and Hubbard talked it out and resolved any issues, it wouldn’t be shocking if the star running back wanted out of that situation. If Hubbard wants out, it’s either transfer, or enter the draft.

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