An amazing three months changed Aaron Maybin's career and life, and a little more than three months from now he'll be in the NFL.
Penn State's All-American defensive end plans to declare early for the NFL draft, according to a pair of Web sites that cover the Nittany Lions. Fightonstate.com and BlueWhite Illustrated cited anonymous sources Friday in reporting what most who follow PSU had expected for weeks -- that the redshirt sophomore will indeed turn pro.
Maybin did not return a phone message from the Mirror on Friday, and his father, Michael, did not answer his cell phone or respond to an e-mail message. Two Penn State football sources also did not return phone messages seeking confirmation about Maybin's decision.
Now comes the question of whether it's a good decision on his part.
"He's not ready for the next level," NFL draft analyst Chris Steuber of scout.com said.
Steuber's reasoning?
He said of the 6-foot-4, 245-pound Maybin, "As talented as he is and as much of a big-time performer as he is, he still has a lot of physical development to go under."
Steuber went on to note, "I think it was evident on the field during the [Rose Bowl]. I think he was manhandled at the line. ... To me, he's just an undersized defensive end right now. You look at him, he's so skinny, he looks like a tight end or a wide receiver on the field.
"He still needs another year in college," Steuber added.
While Maybin might benefit from another year at Penn State, it's his potential that may make him a first- or second-round pick in the April draft. His stock skyrocketed as the season progressed, with some analysts slotting him as a possible top-10 pick.
Maybin submitted his name to the NFL advisory committee to see where he may land in the draft.
"I'm sure the advisory committee came to him with a first-round grade ... and from that, it's pretty hard to turn that situation down because you're tempted by the money," Steuber said.
Maybin tied for sixth in the nation with 12 sacks and tied for fifth with 20 tackles for losses. He was a consensus first-team All-American and a finalist for the Bednarik Award as the nation's top defensive player.
Maybin came out of nowhere as he wasn't even a starter at the beginning of the season. He moved into the starting lineup in week two after Maurice Evans, a preseason All-American, was suspended for a marijuana incident.
Evans, a junior, also is considering declaring early for the draft.
"I don't think he should leave, either," said Steuber, who suggested Evans would be a mid-round selection.
College underclassmen have until Thursday to declare for the draft.
A number of other Penn State players are eligible for the draft. Steuber said he thinks receiver Derrick Williams could go in the second or third round and slotted center A.Q. Shipley anywhere from third to fifth round. He sees receiver Deon Butler as a possible late-round pick or priority free agent.
"What's going to help Derrick is the invention of the wildcat formation in the NFL," Steuber said.
Cory Giger is at 949-7031 and cgsports12@aol.com.
