Prior to this past College Football Season Johnathan Hankins was regarded one of the top interior defensive lineman in college football. Hankins followed up his strong sophomore campaign with a better junior season, and was the catalyst for the “silver bullets”. It was speculation that Hankins would leave early, so this is no surprise. All season Hankins was at the top of several NFL Mock Drafts and it would have been hard for him to come back to Columbus.
The Buckeyes went 12-0, and will likely be a team ranked in the top three in the pre-season polls. It would have been great to see Hankins come back for his senior year for a chance at a National Championship, but I believe he made a great decision. Hankins stock can’t improve, and he is leaving college on a high note. No the Buckeyes didn’t get rewarded for their undefeated season, but undefeated is undefeated.
I am not saying Hankins isn’t worthy, but teams often reach high on defensive tackles so I see Hankins going very high in the draft. Hankins has shown the ability to dominate as well as putting in the time to get into shape. Playing under Urban Meyer he was challenged in several ways and passed all test with flying colors. Hankins won’t be a N.Suh type of player, but will have an immediate impact on the field. The sky is the limit for Hankins and I hope he goes on to be a great pro. Go Bucks!
