Who Will Turn Pro for OU?

People ask me every day who will leave for the NFL out of Soonerville, and the truth is, all the prime candidates likely are to turn pro.

That doesn’t mean the entire quartet — Sam Bradford, G.K. McCoy, Jermaine Gresham and Trent Williams — will jump. But the odds that any of the four will stay are not strong.

Just too much money, too much opportunity, to stay. As much as fans and media romanticize college football, it’s not Utopia for players. The NFL is — with a paycheck and no school and no one off the gridiron telling you what to do.

Bob Stoops like to talk economics about early entry for the draft, and on some things he’s right. On some things, not.

I don’t know if Gresham can climb too far up the draft list if he stays. Tight ends are not a precious commodity.

McCoy probably could, depending on how high he might go this year. If McCoy’s outside the top 10, he could probably make more next year, barring injury.

Williams probably could, too, but Bradford, probably not.

What does it all mean? Here’s my list of Sooners most likely to go pro, from most likely to least likely.

1. Gresham. He’s an NFL body already.

2. Bradford. You just can’t pass up a chance to go in the top five of the draft.

3. Williams. I’m not sure he wants to be alone on the OU line next year.

4. McCoy. If anyone comes back, I think it might be Gerald, just for personal reasons as much as anything.