No matter what happens Jan. 8, 2009, at Dolphin Stadium in Miami, Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford will have a tough decision to make. He'll have to decide by Jan. 15, 2009, whether to forgo his final two seasons of eligibility and enter the NFL draft or stay for at least another year.

Bradford's answer will be the kind of cliffhanger a network television producer could only dream about.

"At this point, I haven't put enough effort into that decision to give you an answer," Bradford said.

His decision will have a huge impact on OU's future and the redshirt sophomore isn't taking it lightly. He's already decided to put OU's coaches, particularly quarterbacks coach Josh Heupel, in charge of finding out what exactly his stock is.

No one doubts Bradford's will be extremely high.

Scouts Inc., which does ESPN's analysis for potential NFL draftees, has Bradford as the No. 2 overall prospect and best quarterback if he decides to come out.

It the analysis holds true, that would mean big money for Bradford.

Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan, who was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2008 draft, signed a six-year $72 million deal that included $34 million in guarantees. That kind of money is hard for anyone to turn down, especially if there's no guarantee it will still be there in another year.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is on record saying he would like to rein in the salaries of high draft picks and free up more money for veteran players who have proven themselves. But he also said today the salary structure won't change until at least 2011.

That won't stop agents from telling players the time to leave is now.

OU coach Bob Stoops does his best to keep the information limited to what NFL teams are thinking.

"I think our guys are more educated and wiser to what the possibilities are," Stoops said.

But it doesn't take an NFL advisory board or a general manager to tell a quarterback the more time he spends in college the better. History has proven it.

There's been 29 quarterbacks drafted in the first round of the NFL draft since 1998. Only five have been underclassmen. None are playing at or have reached their expected potential.

· In 1998, Ryan Leaf left Washington State after his junior year and was drafted No. 2 overall by San Diego. His four-year career is widely considered one of the biggest flops in NFL history.