Junior offensive tackle Brandon Scherff has decided to forgo the NFL draft and return to play football for Iowa during the 2014 season, according to a release from the football team.

The Denison, Iowa, native started all 12 games for Iowa this year, and was an All-Big Ten first-team selection by the coaches.

“I am excited to say that I will be staying at the University of Iowa for my senior season in 2014,” Scherff said in a release. “I am looking forward to the 2014 Outback Bowl and playing an outstanding opponent in LSU, and then working as hard as possible with my teammates to prepare for my senior year as a Hawkeye.”

Many had Scherff pegged as first-round pick in the upcoming draft, netting him mega bucks to play on Sundays. NFL draft writer for Rotoworld and NBC Sports, Josh Norris, had Scherff pegged at 19th overall in his latest projections.

Norris said he was surprised to hear Scherff will stay for one more year of college, but he noted Scherff may not necessarily be entirely ready to play at the next level, either.

“I love Scherff’s aggression, run-blocking ability, and bullying style in space,” Norris told The Daily Iowan. “However, he lunged too often in pass protection and needs to play with a more balanced base in the same scenario.”

— by Ben Ross