The University of Washington issued a release today with a statement from Locker.

“After a great deal of careful thought and deliberation, I have decided to return to Washington and play my senior year. I am very excited about this team’s opportunities and potential for the upcoming season and I am looking forward to being a part of it.”

The 6-foot-3, 226 lb. Locker finished his junior season going 230-of-395 for 2,800 yards, 21 TDs and 11 interceptions. Locker also had 7 TDs on the ground. Locker was ESPN analyst Todd McShay’s projected #1 overall pick and was seen as a first round pick by nearly every draft pundit there is. Locker and Washington improved from 0-12 to 5-7 under first year Head Coach Steve Sarkisian in 2009.

(Andrew Melnick is Howard the Dunk’s lead blogger and a contributor at NFL Mocks Subscribe to his RSS feed and add him on Twitter to follow him daily.)

In 2010, the Big 12 is going to be one stop shopping for your mock draft. No less than six of the top ten prospects in the 2010 draft will be playing their senior seasons in the Big 12.

The state of Oklahoma alone has three such players that will be the topics of discussions on message boards across the NFL landscape.

Offensive tackles Russell Okung of Oklahoma State and Trent Williams of Oklahoma are looking like top 10 locks. In fact, there is a real possibility of both getting a lot of attention as the possible number one overall selection. Oklahoma tight end Jermaine Gresham could be a top 10 pick as well. The 6′6″, 262 pound prospect could see his stock rise with a productive senior year and a good combine showing.

As usual, Mack Brown has a couple of his guys on the NFL radar. The Texas Longhorns have a Heisman hopeful in quarterback Colt McCoy and a guy who could be the Aaron Curry of the 2010 draft in outside linebacker Sergio Kindle.

The Blackshirts of Nebraska are anchored by Ndamukong Suh, a 6′4″, 305 pound defensive tackle who looks to be the best defensive lineman in the 2010.

Combine the above mentioned names with Missouri OLB Sean Weatherspoon, Texas OT Adam Ulatoski, Oklahoma RB Chris Brown and Texas WR Jordan Shipley and you’re sure to see an onslaught of Big 12 talent selected on the first day of the 2010 NFL draft.

Of course, these are just the seniors. Oklahoma junior Sam Bradford could very well be the top pick in the draft should he forgo his final year of eligibility. Many pegged Bradford as the top pick in 2009 had he declared, instead the Oklahoma City native opted to return to school and make a run at adding a second Hesiman trophy to his case.

If you’re a fan of Big 12 football, expect to catch Todd McShay and Mel Kiper exchanging heated banter on the sideline of the Red River Shootout this year. In fact, you can safely bet on seeing the two draft wizards making their rounds as they try to stay on top of all the prospects that fill the Big 12 rosters.

Three Florida players and an Oklahoma quarterback will make a difference. Tim Tebow, Brandon Spikes, and Percy Harvin will all file paperwork to the NFL Draft advisory board to find out where they are currently projected to go if they entered the draft.

I’m sure Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford is going to do the same thing, although I haven’t heard any official word.

Here’s a quick rundown on what the four guys listed above will probably do:

Tim Tebow: Stay
As you guys know I’m a big Florida fan, and although I’m unbiased as possible I can’t help but root that the three Florida guys stick around another year. Tebow is the most likely to stay since his NFL stock won’t be as high as Brandon Spikes and Percy Harvin. Plus Tebow loves college football. If Tebow wins his second national championship then he might decide to leave.

Brandon Spikes: Go
If he sticks around he could be a top 10 pick next season because he would be the top linebacker on the board. I still think Spikes will go after having a tremendous junior season on the field.

Percy Harvin: Go
Although another year would possibly get both Michael Crabtree and Derrius Heyward Bey out of the way it isn’t likely that Harvin will return. If Tebow comes back then Harvin will think about it, but I’m not sure what he would do in that situation. He will be a top 25 pick and should probably take the money.

Sam Bradford: Go
NFL scouts love the guy but I still think he’d be the #2 QB off the board (behind Stafford). Even with that he is never going to have a better season than the one he just had.  Bradford will more than likely leave if he wins the national title.

On my big board of the best players in the draft I have used every player that is eligible to enter the draft and five of my top 10 can return to school next fall.

The decisions of guys like Michael Crabtree, Matthew Stafford, Percy Harvin, Tim Tebow, Knowshon Moreno and Andre Smith will be important for the 2009 draft. If they return to school then Florida will have another national title run in them, as will Georgia, and the Crimson Tide and Red Raiders will keep their most talented player for another season.

If these guys decide to enter the draft then NFL teams will have some extremely talented guys to choose from. Here’s the VERY early lowdown on what I think these guys will decide:

Michael Crabtree: NFL–I really think he is the most talented receiver to come out in years. He’s electric and extremely fast. He has a huge body and he reminds me of Terrell Owens. I think once NFL teams realize his true potential that he will decide to leave. Please note he was a redshirt freshman so he is eligible to leave as a sophomore.

Percy Harvin: College–Once Tebow (read below for more) decides to return I don’t think Harvin will leave. He’s very very quick but probably needs to work on proving he has the size to be an elite NFL receiver and not just a playmaker on kick returns and quick passes.

Tim Tebow: College–If this guy leaves then I don’t see anybody returning. He loves the University of Florida way too much to leave. He might be going for his third Heisman Trophy by then as well, and maybe even his third national title in four years.

Knowshon Moreno: College–The Georgia running back showed his extreme talent at the end of last season, and he was also redshirted as a freshman. I don’t think he plays as well as he did last year, although he will be great, and will stay until his Junior season.

Andre Smith: NFL–The Alabama offensive tackle has been amazing since he signed with the Crimson Tide. I think he’s got to go, he’s been fantastic and will be great on a NFL offensive line. If he returns a lot of Crimson Tide fans will be very happy next season.

Matthew Stafford: NFL–Stafford has a very strong arm and looks like he can be a franchise type quarterback in the NFL. I have watched many videos on him and although he has to work on his decision making, I believe he will be just fine if he decides to leave.

Others whose decisions will affect the 2009 NFL Draft are:
Jeremy Maclin, Sam Bradford, Brandon Spikes, Myron Rolle, Gregg Middleton

QB | RB | WR | TE | T | G/C | DT | DE | LB | CB | S | K | P

1. Matthew Stafford (Georgia)* Round Projection: Early 1st He appears to be the top QB prospect in this draft. He has a strong arm and usually makes good decisions with the football. Stafford is the most NFL ready quarterback I’ve seen all year.

	2. Sam Bradford (Oklahoma)* Round Projection: 1st Some experts even like Bradford over Stafford when they rank their quarterbacks. Bradford isn’t as NFL ready at Stafford but he will go early in the first round if he decides to leave Norman.
	3. Tim Tebow (Florida)* Round Projection: 2nd-3rd Tebow may not even be a quarterback at the next level, depending on who takes him. If the Florida QB leaves he probably won’t go in round one because NFL teams are uncertain of his readiness.
	4. Mark Sanchez (USC)* Round Projection: 2nd-3rd Although I don’t expect Sanchez to leave school I do think he could be a surprise in the NFL. He has a strong arm, but needs to work on his decision making.
	5. Graham Harrell (Texas Tech) Round Projection: 3rd-4th Is he a system quarterback? In the NFL we will find out. He has a strong arm and can make a lot of the throws that a NFL quarterback needs in his arsenal.