XFL commissioner Oliver Luck sounds very open to going after players not eligible for the NFL.
As of right now, a player has to be three years removed from high school in order to play in the NFL. However, the XFL isn’t handcuffed by age restrictions. (RELATED: David Hookstead Is The True King In The North When It Comes To College Football)
They’re free to go after anybody they want, and Luck told Dan Patrick that it’s a “distinct possibility” the XFL will target underclassmen and players who haven’t met the NFL’s age limit.
You can listen to his full comments below.
I actually think this is a genius idea for the XFL, and I’ve been talking about it for awhile with people interested in football.
Imagine if a young freshman quarterback had a great season and caught the attention of a lot of people along the way.
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He’d still be at least two years away from going to the NFL. However, the XFL could come in and offer him buckets of money to play in the league.
Would an elite quarterback like Trevor Lawrence give up his remaining eligibility in college to play a couple seasons in the XFL for $500,000 a season?
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I think there’s a lot of young men who would certainly entertain the option. However, there’s also a very real downside to the idea.
It’s one thing to throw against defenses featuring people 19 and 20 years old. It’s a whole different ball game once we’re talking about guys in their late 20s with NFL experience.
If they leave college and get lit up in the XFL, it could crush their draft stock. However, I’m guessing any quarterback good enough to start in the XFL at 20 is probably going to be just fine.
We’ll see if the league tries to pursue any college stars. I’d bet just about anything it’ll eventually happen.