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While Oakman acknowledged that "I changed my mind every day," he believes he can be a top draft pick if he stays in college another season.
"You're all making it seem like I was gone. I didn't say I was leaving," Oakman said. "It's not my time. I've got unfinished business. ... It's promising on both sides, the NFL and college"
DALLAS (AP) — Shawn Oakman has been a dominant defender for Baylor,Cheap Jerseys From China, an All-Big 12 defensive end who needs only one more sack to set the single-season school record.
"I can be number one. That's the way I see it. If I'm top 15 now,Cheap NBA Jerseys China, to me,NFL Jerseys 2018, I haven't done anything spectacular," he said. "I just know that my work ethic and my potential is so much higher and the things I'm going to do this offseason could just catapult me to number one. ... Why not stay?"
Baylor defensive coordinator Phil Bennett recruited Oakman when he was still in the same position at Pittsburgh. That relationship helped in Oakman landing at Baylor when he left Penn State.
Some projections have the 6-foot-9, 280-pound junior as a high NFL draft pick next spring if he decides to come out early.
Oakman has filed paperwork with the NFL advisory committee that gives prospects an idea of when they could be drafted, helping them decide whether they should declare for early entry or stay in school. He was still waiting to hear back on that.
Oakman said Monday that he's not done at Baylor, and is planning to return for his senior season.
The Penn State transfer, who had to sit out 2012 at Baylor after redshirting the previous season with the Nittany Lions, has 10 sacks and a Big 12-leading 18½ tackles for losses. He was a third-team AP All-America pick for two-time Big 12 champion Baylor, which plays Michigan State in the Cotton Bowl on Thursday.
"Looking at my body of work, it wasn't good enough for me to leave,Authentic NFL Jerseys Wholesale," Oakman said. "That's not how you want to leave a program that resurrected you and brought you back to the light you're supposed to be at."
"He's made progress. He's not where he's going to be though. I'm honest with him. Another year is what he needs,Cheap Jerseys For Sale," Bennett said. "He's still raw. He's worked hard. The thing about Shawn that's a joy, he knows he's got things to work on. And the best thing about him, though,Authentic Adidas Hockey Jerseys China, the sky is the limit for him."
Without starting a game for Baylor last season, Oakman had 12 ½ tackles for losses. He has increased that while starting every game this season, but doesn't think he's yet done enough for the Bears. |
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