AJ McCarron to stay at Bama, Lattimore goes

AJ McCarron has said that he’s going to stay at Alabama for his senior year.

The junior quarterback, who was considered a Heisman candidate before he was outshone by Johnny Manziel in the loss to Texas A&M, revealed the news at a press conference on Wednesday.

He said:  “I had many goals for myself when I came to the University of Alabama. I have been lucky enough to achieve some of those goals, but some are still ahead of me. There were many factors in my decision to return to Alabama for my senior year but, after talking with my family and coaches, I knew it was the right choice for me.

“I love the University of Alabama, my coaches, my teammates and our fans. I am excited to have the opportunity to play with my brother (sophomore tight end Correy), continue to grow as a leader, continue to help our team win football games and develop even further as a quarterback. The NFL has long been a dream, but I think another year at Alabama can only help my chances of being successful at the next level.”

McCarron threw for over 2,600 yards and 26 TDs this year – and will be considered as a possible Heisman candidate.

However, McCarron could be missing a great running back in Eddie Lacy and Offensive Tackle DJ Fluker have both reportedly said that they were going to the NFL.

But in other news, Marcus Lattimore broke a lot of Gamecocks fans hearts by saying that he was going to forgo his senior year and go to the NFL.

Lattimore – who was badly injured in both the 2011 and 2012 seasons – had a brilliant career at South Carolina, where he ran for over 2,600 yards and 28 TDs in a starry career at Williams-Brice.

BOTTOM LINE: It can only be good for McCarron’s potential NFL career if he stays another year at Alabama. Had he left this year, he would have been a 2nd round quarterback at best – and could well have been coupled with Greg McIlroy, John Parker Wilson, and other recent Alabama QB busts.

On Lattimore’s side, we envisage any NFL team taking Lattimore with the two injuries he’s had as a major risk, so Gamecocks fans could be waiting a while to see where the famous No.21 ends up.