Will the Ragin' Cajuns down season affect Elijah McGuire's draft stock? He plans on finding out over the next month or so.

Head Coach Mark Hudspeth told local writers that McGuire is "testing the waters" of the NFL for the 2016 Draft. If he likes what he hears back from the NFL Draft Advisory Board, it will be time to say goodbye to Cajun Nation....but don't assume he's gone just yet. With the struggles up front due to injuries on the offensive line, this season wasn't exactly the audition tape "The Prophet" wanted for what could be his final year.

That being said, McGuire still racked up 16 total TD's and over 1,400 all-purpose yards. He didn't register as many jaw-dropping highlights, but his production was still evident.

It's tough sledding as a running back in the NFL. Does he really want to make the jump right now?

No scouting sites place McGuire in the top 10 or 15 backs for the 2016 Draft. It might just be a situation when he wants to see if what he's reading and seeing online is true. If so, McGuire would be right back for his senior year to lead the Cajuns, hopefully, back to a bowl game.

The cutoff date for declaring for the NFL Draft is January 18th, so he only has a month and some change to gather as much information as possible. The one thing to remember as a fan, this is his decision as a man. Sometimes, it's hard to put yourself in the athlete's shoes.

It's not all about what round you go in. As long as the money is guaranteed, often it's enough to lure players away from college. When you start thinking about the possibility of an injury playing an entire season, you can start to see how some players make the leap too soon.

The 4-8 record certainly wasn't his fault, and there was nothing he could do about the offensive line. Again, you are left asking a question: will the NFL be able to look past that and see the superb athlete he proved to be over the last three years?

Luckily for McGuire, the Draft Advisory Board isn't there to blow smoke. They tell the facts. If he's not ready for the league, they won't sugarcoat it.

All of Cajun Nation surely hopes he will return for his senior year to give the offense a spark, but if he does decide to leave, try to understand.

Football is an unforgiving profession. If it reaches down a hand to lift you to the next level, you take the ride. At any moment in their life, on the field or off it, their career can be stripped from them in a breath. Finally, money can't buy happiness, but it does pay the bills.

Will Elijah McGuire be saying his goodbyes in January or telling Cajun Nation to get ready for his senior year? Let the chips fall.

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