Oregon may have lost one of its offensive stars to the NFL on Monday, but the Ducks defense will be getting one of its best players back next year.
Oregon announced on Monday that cornerback Ifo Ekpre-Olomu will return for his senior season.
"The two main factors related to my decision to return were my continued progression as a person and a player, and I felt Oregon was my best option to achieve those goals and improve my situation for next year," Ekpre-Olomu said.
"I should be able to finish my degree by next fall, possibly by the end of the summer. Football is only one phase of who I am; my degree will be forever. Secondly was my ability to make an impact and become a top [draft] pick, and I felt staying one more year would only help me."
NFLDraftScout.com considers Ekpre-Olomu to be the second-best cornerback prospect in the country, behind only Michigan State's Darqueze Dennard, and he's a projected first-round pick. In fact, in our CBSSports.com Mock Drafts, Rob Rang has Ekpre-Olomu going to San Diego at No. 22 and Dane Brugler has the Chicago Bears taking him at No. 14.
Still it seems an education is more important to Ekpre-Olomu than the prospect of millions of dollars in the NFL at the moment, and I doubt Oregon minds much.
Ekpre-Olomu had 84 tackles with five tackles for loss this season. He also had three interceptions and broke up another six passes while forcing a fumble.
