Washington State QB Luke Falk will return to play for the Cougars in 2017, coach Mike Leach said Monday, rather than applying for early NFL draft eligibility.
"It won't be his last game," Leach said of the Cougars' Holiday Bowl game (Tuesday) against Minnesota, per The Seattle Times.
Falk (6-feet-4, 215 pounds) has had a prolific career at WSU in Leach's Air Raid offense. He's completed 413 of 582 passes for 4,204 yards, 37 touchdowns and 10 interceptions this season. That yardage total ranked No. 5 in the FBS.
College underclassmen have until a Jan. 16 deadline to apply for early draft eligibility.
Although the Air Raid offense is vastly different from the pro-style concepts Falk would have to grasp at the next level, NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein does not believe Falk will struggle in the transition, and has compared him to former Seattle Seahawks QB Matt Hasselbeck. Analyst Bucky Brooks also is high on Falk, noting that scouts have been impressed that Leach gave him more freedom to change plays at the line of scrimmage.
Falk has built a wealth of college experience since becoming a starter over the last four games of his freshman season in 2014. With the Air Raid offense often calling for 50-plus pass attempts per game, Falk has amassed 1,016 completions on 1,469 attempts for 10,624 yards, 88 touchdowns and 25 interceptions entering the Holiday Bowl.
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