Shane Vereen to Declare for NFL Draft

In a move that should surprise no one, runningback Shane Vereen has decided to forego his final year of eligibility and will enter the NFL Draft in April.

Vereen cited that the decision was a difficult one, but it's hard to believe that Vereen was headed towards returning for his senior year. He has already earned his degree in communications, having graduated in 3 1/2 years, and had little to gain in terms of improving his draft stock with another season. He's currently considered one of the top five junior runningbacks according to Mel Kiper Jr., and will probably be a 2nd or 3rd round draft pick.

One has to also consider that Vereen ends his career on a fairly healthy note, and anyone who follows football knows that the shelf life of any NFL runningback is limited. Vereen is in prime position to follow his dream of playing in the NFL, and more power to him.

I've long said that Vereen has been one of my favorite backs to follow, and has been one of the most complete and versatile backs during Coach Tedford's tenure at Cal. While his accolades will likely be a bit overlooked in Cal history, he'll end his career at Cal as one of the most productive runningbacks the school has seen. His career numbers give him 2,834 rushing yards (5th all time) and 29 rushing TDs (tied for 2nd all time).


Vereen leaves behind a larger question at the Cal tailback position, with junior Isi Sofele, RS junior Covaughn Deboskie-Johnson, RS sophomore Dasarte Yarnway, RS freshman Trajaun Briggs, and true freshmen RBs Brendan Bigelow and Daniel Lasco all vying for playing time. In addition to quarterback, it will be one of the more interesting position battles to follow.

But at the end of the day, this post and this moment is about Vereen and his future. I loved watching him play, and I'll always appreciate his contributions on and off the field. Few will forget his legendary 2009 Big Game performance, which I still think is one of the gutsiest performances by any collegiate football player ever. I think he'll have a solid NFL career and I wish him the best with everything he does. Go Bears.