(Photo: Scotty Bara/WCSN)
Arizona State junior running back DJ Foster has opted to stay for his senior season, and thus will wait until 2016 to declare for the NFL Draft.
Foster held a press conference Tuesday afternoon to announce the decision—a decision that was somewhat predictable given ASU’s tendency to hold press conferences for players announcing return (i.e. Will Sutton in 2013) and issuing press releases for players announcing departure (i.e. Jaelen Strong a few weeks ago).
Foster had stated prior to the decision that he wanted to gather as much information about his draft stock as possible before reaching a final verdict.
According to draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. in a statement to azcentral’s Doug Haller, Foster’s decision to stay for his senior season is the correct move.
“Foster, I think needs another year,” Kiper Jr. said. “I like his versatility. There were some games where he didn’t necessarily run the ball like you would expect him to do. Game to game, if he’s more consistent next year, he could be a second- or third-round guy, so I think going back would help him.”
At 5’11” and 203 pounds, Foster’s physical build is slightly smaller than the prototypical every-down NFL running back and smaller than Kiper Jr.’s top-three projected running backs off the board in the 2015 draft (Georgia’s Todd Gurley stands at 6’1” and weighs 226 lbs, Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon is 6’1”, 215 lbs and Alabama’s TJ Yeldon is 6’2”, 221 lbs).
A second team all-conference performer in 2014, Foster’s biggest asset is his flexibility in being able to alternate between running back and slot receiver.
Foster led the Sun Devil backfield with 194 carries, 1081 rushing yards and nine touchdowns, and was Taylor Kelly’s clear second-option in the passing game, ranking second on the team with 62 receptions and 688 receiving yards.
Foster’s 163 career receptions are the fifth-most in school history, and he is just the third player in school history to record back-to-back seasons of 60-plus receptions.
In 2015, carries in the Sun Devil backfield will likely be more at a premium, as the four-touchdown performance in the Sun Bowl and the stellar freshman campaign from Demario Richard have certainly laid claim to a larger workload.
It may be a blessing in disguise for Foster, however, as he is projected by scouting pundits as a change-of-pace back, and toolsy slot receiver, in the NFL. Richard assuming a larger share of the carries will simply slot Foster into his projected NFL role. Regardless, Foster returns to Tempe for his senior season as ASU’s most versatile and explosive weapon and a clear focal point of the offensive attack.
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