2021 NFL Draft: Did Chuba Hubbard declare a year too late?

Chuba Hubbard may have been better off declaring a year ago

Chuba Hubbard announced on Sunday that he is heading to the 2021 NFL Draft after opting out of the remainder of his junior year, an unsurprising decision but one that presents something of a risk after an underwhelming 2020 campaign.

The odds of Hubbard remaining in Stillwater for his senior year have always looked slim and were not helped prior to this season by a souring in his relationship with head coach Mike Gundy. Hubbard appeared primed to head for the NFL early after stating he would not be doing anything for Oklahoma State again following a social media post featuring an image of the head coach wearing a t-shirt of a far-right news outlet.

Hubbard and Gundy reached a peace agreement that could best be described as awkward and, in hindsight, the 2019 Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year would have been better off sticking with his initial stance and resting on that stunning campaign.

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Indeed, the 2020 season proved one in which Hubbard failed to make the leap he desired and, if anything, he hurt his stock by playing another year for the Cowboys.

What went wrong in 2020 for Hubbard

After averaging 6 yards per carry as a freshman and 6.4 as he racked up 2,094 yards and 21 touchdowns last year, Hubbard ran at a clip of just 4.7 yards in 2020, finding the endzone on six occasions – claiming five scores as a runner and one as a receiver.

His production as a receiver also dipped. Hubbard averaged 6.5 yards per reception on eight catches in 2020. Those numbers are in stark contrast to his freshman year when he caught 22 balls for 229 yards and two touchdowns at 10.4 yards per catch and his 2019 season when he averaged 8.6 yards per reception on 23 catches.

What Chuba Hubbard still brings to the table

A true home-run hitter who can be a big-play threat from anywhere on the field, Hubbard will still have plenty of admirers during the draft process because of the upside he can bring.

But had he stood on his 2019 efforts; Hubbard may have been one of the first backs off the board.

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That is an unlikely prospect now and the argument could be made that Hubbard would be better off rebuilding his stock with another college season rather than risking heading to the NFL on the back of a below-par year. But, after events on and off the field in his final season with Oklahoma State, his desire to turn the page and make the most of his pro potential is understandable.

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