Former Ole Miss quarterback and projected first-round NFL Draft pick Matt Corral bucked the trend of opting out of his teams’ bowl game by playing in January’s Sugar Bowl, and it cost him. Corral suffered a high ankle sprain in the Rebels 21-7 loss to the Baylor Bears, though the injury appeared to be much worse at the time.
Over the past several years, NFL prospects have preferred to start focusing on the NFL Draft as early as possible, as well as avoiding a major injury that could impact their draft stock.
As Corral prepares for his Pro Day — scheduled for March 24 on the Ole Miss campus — he’s been conducting interviews with quarterback-needy teams at the NFL combine. Corral said he’s been asked by multiple teams whether he has any regrets about playing in the final game of his college career, to which he said he “never thought about opting out.”
“They asked if I regretted it, and I said, ‘Absolutely not,’” Corral said according to ESPN. “I never thought about opting out. … It was never a thought in my mind. I was going to play regardless.”
Corral is projected to be late first round selection, listed by Mel Kiper Jr. of ESPN as the No. 3 quarterback in his class.
“About 2½ weeks ago I started throwing and running,” Corral said. “… I am throwing at 100% right now. I just started taking dropbacks about two and a half weeks ago. Before that I was just throwing from spots, not taking any dropbacks.”
Corral’s injury in the Sugar Bowl sparked a debate over whether it’s prudent for highly projected NFL prospects to opt out of their teams bowl games, or if a player should finish out his career for his teammates.
For Corral, playing one last time with his Ole Miss teammates was the only option.
“I definitely wouldn’t have been in this position if it wasn’t for them,” Corral said in December when asked about opting out. “I’m not just going to leave. Ya, I know what’s on the other side. I know what’s ahead, but God’s got me. I’m not worried about the negative part. If that does happen, then it wasn’t meant to be.”
“I’m going to give these guys everything I got until it’s over.” he added.
Corral led Ole Miss to its first ever 10-win regular season, throwing for 3,349 yards and 20 touchdowns, while also rushing for 614 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground. Kiper Jr. currently has Corral going to the Detroit Lions with the final pick of the 2022 NFL Draft.
Joe Morgan is the Sports Reporter for The Daily Wire. Most recently, Morgan covered the Clippers, Lakers, and the NBA for Sporting News. Send your sports questions to [email protected].
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Source: Dailywire
