Winston to announce NFL draft decision after CFP title game

A decision on whether or not Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston opts for the NFL Draft will be made sometime after the College Football Playoff championship game on Monday, his father said.

Antonor Winston did not give an exact date for his son’s decision, but the NFL deadline for underclassmen to declare their intentions is Jan 15.

After sitting out one year as a true freshman in 2012, Winston seized the starting job in 2013 and led Florida State to the BCS national championship as a redshirt freshman and won the Heisman Trophy.

In 2014, the Seminoles again posted an undefeated record during the regular season before losing 59-20 to Oregon in the Rose Bowl last week, denying them a chance to play in the first NCAAF playoff national championship game.

NFLDraftScout.com ranks Winston as the No. 2 quarterback in the class of 2015 behind Oregon’s Marcus Mariota and the No. 3 overall prospect behind Southern California defensive tackle Leonard Williams.

Winston is a natural. He has the requisite physical skills with his size, arm strength and athleticism along with the mental process as a passer to pick apart defenses. His anticipation, instincts and chemistry with his targets come easy to him, and it’s something that scouts search for within quarterback prospects.

Simply put, Winston has a rare skill-set and that’s why he has the makings of a top 10 selection or even No. 1 overall pick.

However, his string of immature actions off the field will continue to be a hot topic among NFL decision makers. Winston also had several slow starts and games with multiple interceptions in 2014, although he also showed the ability to contistently rally his team from behind and make plays in the clutch.

Winston has said he’d like to continue to play baseball at Florida State this spring, but entering the draft likely would end that possibility.