I came across a pretty interesting article on Bleacher Report (below) The #1 prospect on the list is Safety Kenny Robinson which is a very interesting story and one that could become more prevalent among talented 2nd and 3rd year College Players.
B/R: Early XFL Standouts Who Should Be Grabbing the NFL's Attention
S Kenny Robinson, St. Louis BattleHawks
The biggest and perhaps most influential experiment in the XFL received little to no acknowledgement during opening weekend since it directly ties into the NFL draft process.
St. Louis BattleHawks safety Kenny Robinson is using the XFL as an alternative to playing college football.
NFL rules state a player must be three years removed from high school before being eligible to declare for the draft. Robinson spent two seasons with the West Virginia Mountaineers before he chose to leave. He originally entered the NCAA's transfer portal, but he later decided to play in the XFL instead.
"When I was leaving school, I had just found out recently that my mom had cancer," Robinson told USA Today. "(So) the decision was either go back to school and sit out a year, and then wait until next year to be drafted, or go to the XFL and help provide for my family."
Robinson made the best choice for his family. He'll now be eligible to play for the NFL after this season, and interest should in his services should be sky-high.
The 6'2", 198-pound safety earned first-team All-Big 12 honors as a true sophomore in 2018. He left the Mountaineers program as its active leader with seven interceptions. Robinson was relatively quiet in his first XFL action, though his five total tackles finished fourth on the team with fellow safety Will Hill.
But the 21-year-old defensive back is the most promising player in a league where he's surrounded by former NFL players.
"I just want to prove that I belong here and that I deserve a chance at the next level," Robinson told USA Today.
This is a story line I'm going to be following through the end of the season leading into the NFL draft. Barring injury Kenny Robinson is pretty much a lock to get drafted to the NFL... This could increase the viability of the league if this becomes a legit path.
(I'm similarly following LaMelo Ball in Australia bypassing the One and Done NBA/NCAA CBB rule by playing 1 year of Pro Ball overseas... and he may actually be drafted #1 overall in the NBA... which will really start to open the flood gates of young talented players betting on themselves, going to play in other professional leagues for a year to bypass the NCAA rules/regulations and getting paid in the process)
Which brings me to the XFL v NCAA path to the NFL... Three major things that lead me to believe the XFL to the NFL pathway will become a true viable option:
1. Oliver Luck - the big elephant in the room. He was the President of NFL Europe which was ACTUALLY an NFL venture into a 2nd pro-league. He was also the NCAA Executive VP of Regulatory Affairs from 2014 to 2018... So he thoroughly knows the Football landscape from a Big Picture view, professionally and on the amateur levels.
2. NCAA facing new legislation pushing toward paying players... some states have already passed legislation... and it seems the landscape is shifting. The views and the opinions of players and fans are threatening the status quo. Oliver Luck just exited stage left from that Regulatory Affairs position... You don't think he sees the viable lane for an NFL Minor League/NFL G-League?
3. The XFL seems to be focusing a good portion of their broadcast to player access... which really feels like a player centered league... similarly to how the NBA is more about player's individual brands versus how the NFL is all about the Shield and Exclusive rights deals and are adversarial to large individual personalities... This element could be attractive to very talented young Football Prospects who already have large social media followings and are looking to build their brands...
I'm already a fan of the XFL, I hope it succeeds as a viable stand alone league... but I really see it becoming a Partner with the NFL in the future versus a competitor to the NFL. I can see it becoming the NFL's minor league/farm system. I think that is the lane... and I think that is why Oliver Luck was a brilliant hire. Vince McMahon is staying hands off and is simply acting as the investor and is letting the smart football executives handle operations. VERY SMART MOVE. With those 3 points (Oliver Luck, Changing NCAA Regulatory Landscape, XFL Player Centric Focus) I think the XFL will become a viable bypass to the NCAA College Football system for a certain subset of players.
I'm interested to hear other's thoughts and opinions... What do you guys think?
