While teammates Marcus Mariota and Hroniss Grasu have announced their plans for next season, Oregon cornerback Ifo Ekpre-Olomu is no closer to deciding if he will return for his senior season or enter the 2014 NFL Draft.
"I think I'm pretty much at the same spot I was the past couple of weeks," Ekpre-Olomu told the Oregonian.
Ekpre-Olomu earned first-team All-Pac-12 recognition for the second consecutive season after posting 78 tackles, four tackles for loss, six pass breakups and three interceptions. Solidifying his reputation as a legitimate lockdown corner, Ekpre-Olomu (5-foot-10, 185 pounds) is regarded as one of the top defensive-back prospects in the game.
And while his evaluation from the NFL Draft Advisory Board will almost certainly reflect as much, Ekpre-Olomu said it is unlikely to be a main factor in his decision-making.
"Projections are something, but you never know until that day comes when your name is called," Ekpre-Olomu said. "I'm not really worried about projections and what somebody says because what influence do they really have? They might have heard stuff, but at the same time it could be all talk."
Ekpre-Olomu is more concerned with making sure he is physically and mentally ready for the challenges associated with playing professionally.
That includes a challenging matchup against Reese's Senior Bowl-bound wide receiver Mike Davis of Texas in the Alamo Bowl on Dec. 30. Davis (6-2, 195) is a dynamic deep threat with six touchdowns of 44 yards or longer over the last two seasons.
Having faced a similarly explosive player in Oregon State's Brandin Cooks in the regular-season finale and held him out of the end zone, Ekpre-Olomu should be up to the task.
Said Ekpre-Olomu: "At this time, the bowl season, I'm really just worried about getting better, improving on everything I can up until this game against Texas."
Follow Dan Greenspan on Twitter @DanGreenspan.
