Redshirt junior Dre'Mont Jones is among the Buckeyes with eligibility who could leave after this season for the NFL Draft. (Marvin Fong, The Plain Dealer)

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COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The declarations after the 2015 and 2016 Ohio State seasons conditioned everyone to expect OSU underclassmen to leave early.

For the 2016 NFL Draft, nine Buckeyes departed with eligibility, more than any school.

For the 2017 NFL Draft, six Buckeyes left early, which tied for the most in the nation, though a few players, like Tyquan Lewis and Sam Hubbard, did stay when the NFL was interested.

So last year, it was reasonable to expect another run. When we did this, which has become an annual tradition of guessing underclassmen departures during Senior Week, I predicted seven Buckeyes would go. In our poll, the readers said six would leave.

Only three did.

The option of three departures finished sixth among the seven options in our poll a year ago, ahead of only "nine or more."

While Denzel Ward, Hubbard and Jerome Baker made smart and reasonable decisions to depart, Dre'Mont Jones and Mike Weber surprised many by sticking around. Unlike previous seasons, with Noah Brown for the 2017 draft and Jalin Marshall for 2016, there were no surprising departures.

So last year, we were wrong on a lot of our predictions. But we still like doing this because it at least gets you thinking about the Buckeyes beyond the seniors that you may see play in Ohio Stadium for the last time on Saturday.

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According to Ohio State, only 12 players will go through Senior Day activities: six current starters, three other scholarship players and three walk-ons.

The starters are receivers Terry McLaurin, Parris Campbell and Johnnie Dixon and offensive linemen Isaiah Prince, Demetrius Knox and Malcolm Pridgeon.

The other scholarship players are offensive lineman Brady Taylor, linebacker Dante Booker and kicker Sean Nuernberger.

The walk-ons are punter Bryan Kristan, tight end Tate Duarte and lineman Blake Pfenning.

They'll run out of the tunnel individually, greet Urban Meyer with a hug or handshake, and celebrate with their families on the field.

But some of these other guys are going to be gone, too, without the official acknowledgement.

Here are my guesses on 10 who may at least have a decision to make.

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Quarterback Dwayne Haskins is a redshirt sophomore. (Marvin Fong, The Plain Dealer)

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Dwayne Haskins, quarterback

I can't imagine him returning.

He's ready physically and mentally. He's not a perfect fit for this offense, so it makes sense to get him to the NFL. He can't have a better statistical season than he's having, so far completing 294 of 424 passes (69.3 percent) for 3,729 yards and 36 touchdowns.

He's in the OSU record book with those yards and touchdowns, and he should stay there for quite some time.

The way for Ohio State to get two seasons out of Haskins would have been to play him in 2017 and 2018, and there was a time when Haskins thought J.T. Barrett wasn't coming back for a fifth season in 2017. When Barrett returned, this is how it worked out.

One bright light of a season from maybe the best thrower of the football to ever put on an OSU jersey.

Next year, he'll be in an NFL jersey.

On last week's Buckeye Talk podcast, guest Ian Wharton explained why he thought Haskins could be the first QB taken in the 2019 draft. So make sure you give that a listen.

Prediction: Leave

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Running back Mike Weber is a redshirt junior. (Marvin Fong, The Plain Dealer)

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Mike Weber, running back

A year ago, Bill Landis, Tim Bielik and I all predicted that Weber would leave after his redshirt sophomore season.

Weber might have agreed with that prediction at the time it was made. But he returned with a promise from the coaching staff of a larger role in the offense.

Last year, after battling through a hamstring injury that kept him out of all or most of the first four games, he averaged 9.4 carries and 58.4 yards in the last 10 games.

This year, after missing last week with a thigh bruise, he's averaging 12.7 carries and 71.1 yards in the 10 games he has played.

He thought about leaving a year ago. When you think once, you only come back once, not twice.

Prediction: Leave

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H-back K.J. Hill is a redshirt junior. (Marvin Fong, The Plain Dealer)

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K.J. Hill, H-back

Hill is lumped in with the veteran receivers. But while Dixon, Campbell and McLaurin are seniors, Hill is a redshirt junior with a year of eligibility remaining.

He has the size and the hands and a nice mix of reliability and play-making to draw NFL interest. He doesn't have blazing speed, but he knows how to work the middle of the field and make tough catches.

Hill leads the Buckeyes with 772 receiving yards.

While I don't think it's a sure thing, it makes sense that he'd want to leave with his guys rather than stick around for another year when he's already done so much.

Prediction: Leave

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Receiver Austin Mack is a junior. (Marvin Fong, The Plain Dealer)

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Austin Mack, receiver

Many predicted Mack to have a breakout season. It didn't happen.

He has 26 catches for 331 yards and he suffered a foot injury against Purdue that ended his season.

Couple the injury with Mack's serious involvement with campus issues and the fact that he still hasn't played his best football, and the true junior sets up as a guy ready to reach his potential as a senior.

Prediction: Stay

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Receiver Ben Victor is a junior. (Marvin Fong, The Plain Dealer)

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Ben Victor, receiver

Victor falls in much the same boat as Mack when it comes to unrealized potential.

Both of those receivers are on a path, and they need their senior seasons -- with at least three and maybe four other veterans gone -- to finish that journey.

Victor has 17 catches for 287 yards, but with some truly spectacular flashes of big receiver brilliance. He's a candidate for a Noah Brown kind of surprise decision to go, but for now, Mack and Victor leading the receiver room in 2019 makes sense.

Prediction: Stay

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Ohio State center Michael Jordan is a junior. (Marvin Fong, The Plain Dealer)

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Michael Jordan, center

Jordan was an all-conference caliber guard last year. He hasn't been an all-conference caliber center this year.

He's a definite NFL player, and that means he could go. But forced into a new position, he didn't have his best season.

Guards Pat Elflein and Billy Price returned as seniors and added NFL value by moving to center. I think Jordan would add NFL value by moving back from center to left guard.

He talked last week about how much he loved the Buckeyes growing up and how much he wanted to play at Ohio State. After taking one for the team this season, I think the Buckeyes should promise Jordan they'll move him back to guard, and then he can finish his career as a senior and four-year starter with what could be an All-American-type year.

Prediction: Stay

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Cornerback Kendall Sheffield (8) is a redshirt junior. (Marvin Fong, The Plain Dealer)

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Kendall Sheffield, cornerback

I thought Sheffield might leave after last season.

A transfer from Alabama who spent a year at junior college, he stayed at Ohio State and started for the second year. As a redshirt junior, he could be back. He hasn't developed into the next first-round quality cornerback here, so he would not be leaping for a high draft spot.

But there are some young players at the position knocking at the door.

I have no read on this. But Sheffield has great speed and might open eyes at the NFL Combine. It may just be time for him to take the next step rather than come back for a third year at Ohio State and fifth year of college football.

Prediction: Leave

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Ohio State cornerback Damon Arnette (3) is a redshirt junior. (Mike Mulholland, MLive.com)

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Damon Arnette, cornerback

He's a fourth-year junior in the same position as Sheffield. He has some physical skills, but he hasn't been great the last two years. The Buckeyes should want to improve at corner in 2019, and playing the same three-man rotation of Sheffield, Arnette and Jeffrey Okudah wouldn't make that happen.

It's a guess, but it's hard to see both Sheffield and Arnette staying. But maybe one will.

Prediction: Stay

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Safety Jordan Fuller (4) is a junior. (Marvin Fong, The Plain Dealer)

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Jordan Fuller, safety

I thought Fuller might play like an All-American this season. While he has been the best player in the OSU secondary, he hasn't been that.

After a rough year for the defense, I could see Fuller wanting to return to be a second-year captain and to lead a defensive turnaround. The Buckeyes didn't have any senior starters on defense this season.

Fuller would be an incredibly valuable senior starter in 2019. The NFL will want him. He might want one more crack at this.

Prediction: Stay

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Defensive tackle Dre'Mont Jones is a redshirt junior. (Marvin Fong, The Plain Dealer)

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Dre'Mont Jones, defensive tackle

Nick Bosa begged Jones to stay in school a year ago when the NFL was calling.

Jones stayed, and then Bosa got hurt in week three and left to get healthy and prepare for the NFL himself.

There is no doubt that Jones, a redshirt junior, has been the MVP of the defense this season while playing through a foot injury. He'll almost certainly be a first-round pick in the NFL.

He already gave the Buckeyes a year many didn't think they'd get.

Don't expect him back for year five. He's done everything he could in year four, and I don't think it's a stretch to say that without Jones, the Buckeyes wouldn't be 10-1.

Prediction: Leave

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Final count

That's five underclassmen I'm predicting to leave: Haskins, Weber, Hill, Sheffield and Jones.

I'll let you know when I get all of these predictions right one year. Don't hold your breath.

Now cast your vote. You know the seniors that will say goodbye to Ohio Stadium on Saturday. How many other players will do it as well?

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