Andrew Luck, the Stanford quarterback widely regarded to be the first pick in the NFL draft, will pass on the NFL next year and play his junior season for the Stanford Cardinal. Luck, a redshirt sophomore, completed 70% of his passes this past season, enjoyed a 4-1 touchdown to interception ratio, and threw for over 3,300 yards over the course of the year. He also helped lead Stanford to a 12-1 finish, along with a win in the Discover Orange Bowl over Virginia Tech.
“I am committed to earning my degree in architectural design from Stanford University and am on track to accomplish this at the completion of the spring quarter of 2012,” Luck said in a statement on Thursday.
The Carolina Panthers were reportedly committed to Luck should he decide to leave college early. Sources inside the organization said Luck would be selected by the Panthers should he enter the NFL draft this year. What remains to be seen is if Jim Harbaugh, Stanford’s head coach, is as committed to Stanford as its starting quarterback. According to reports, Harbaugh is being courted by multiple NFL teams as well as the University of Michigan.
