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Report: Several juniors at Alabama, Stanford expected to enter 2012 NFL Draft

by Dan Kadar
Updated
TUSCALOOSA, AL - SEPTEMBER 24: Trent Richardson #3 of the Alabama Crimson Tide breaks a tackle by Byran Jones #54 of the Arkansas Razorbacks at Bryant-Denny Stadium on September 24, 2011 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
TUSCALOOSA, AL - SEPTEMBER 24: Trent Richardson #3 of the Alabama Crimson Tide breaks a tackle by Byran Jones #54 of the Arkansas Razorbacks at Bryant-Denny Stadium on September 24, 2011 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
TUSCALOOSA, AL - SEPTEMBER 24: Trent Richardson #3 of the Alabama Crimson Tide breaks a tackle by Byran Jones #54 of the Arkansas Razorbacks at Bryant-Denny Stadium on September 24, 2011 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Getty Images

This really isn't shocking, but Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net and SI.com reports that the Alabama Crimson Tide and Stanford Cardinal will be losing several juniors to the 2012 NFL Draft.

For the Tide, that includes running back Trent Richardson, linebacker Dont'a Hightower and cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick. All are probably first-round picks next year. Richardson in particular could go high in round one.

At Stanford, we already know that quarterback Andrew Luck is playing his last season of college football. Pauline doesn't offer any speculation on which players will leave Stanford, only saying a "large number of non-seniors" are expected to go pro. Chief among those players is left tackle Jonathan Martin, whom Pauline noted on Twitter is 99 percent likely to enter the draft.

The most likely other Cardinal player to go pro early is guard David DeCastro. Pauline expected linebacker Shayne Skov to enter the draft, but he is out for the season with a knee injury.

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