Ohio State QB Cardale Jones has just pulled off arguably the greatest career by a college football QB in the history of the sport.

Three starts, three wins, in the three biggest games of the season: Ohio State’s must-win over Wisconsin in the Big Ten championship game; Ohio State’s must-win over SEC juggernaut Alabama in the Playoff Semifinal; and Ohio State’s must-win over Nike juggernaut Oregon in the CFB title game.

Jones displayed a cannon of an arm, an unstoppable 250-pound frame (which ESPN’s Tommy Tomlinson accurately compared to a “vending machine come to life”) and poise in the pocket (despite that notable fumble in the 3rd quarter).

Things will not – no: cannot – get better for Jones at the college level.

And now it is time for Jones to turn pro, immediately.

If his aspiration is to play in the NFL, the best place to learn to become an NFL quarterback is … the NFL. It’s an annual rite that even the most experienced college QBs leave campus, find a QB “guru” and dramatically re-fashion their games to better align with what the NFL demands.

Is Jones better off spending the offseason getting ready for spring ball with his brand-new Ohio State offensive coordinator, then spending next season playing in an offense designed intentionally for Urban Meyer’s success (not Jones’ NFL prospects)…

…Or working with a master NFL QB tutor like George Whitfield ahead of the NFL Draft, then working with an NFL QB coach all spring and summer, then learning about how to play QB in the NFL while participating in NFL practices, sitting in NFL film rooms and standing on the NFL sidelines.

He also faces an uncertain future on his own team. If not for injuries to incumbent QB1 Braxton Miller and Miller’s all-Big Ten replacement JT Barrett, Jones would have been stuck on the depth chart. Next season, he will have to compete with one — possibly both.

If people would like Jones to commit to forgoing the professional path and to staying at Ohio State, is it reasonable to expect a similar commitment from Ohio State that Jones will be QB1?

That expectation, of course, is silly – Urban Meyer has no idea who his starting QB will be. It’s a quality problem for Meyer — but not Jones’ problem if he credibly recognizes that despite his success, he may be stuck behind Barrett next year.

In the end, Jones’ professional development isn’t Ohio State’s priority – certainly not the way it would be for a private QB tutor and certainly not for an NFL team that has just invested a draft pick on him. (Meanwhile, given Jones’ flash-mob success and obvious talent, there hasn’t been a more intriguing NFL QB prospect in years.)

Finally, there is the not-inconsequential question of compensation. If Jones turns pro today, he can immediately sign an endorsement deal with LeBron’s Nike division. He can immediately start getting paid marketing fees commensurate with his new-found popularity and success. He can sign an NFL contract — whether that is as a first-rounder or late-rounder. At Ohio State, he will enjoy a relatively paltry college scholarship that fits like handing him a too-small T-shirt – and the very real risk that the next big Ohio State QB injury is his.

Jones’ own tweet from 2012 — since deleted — was an inelegant but fair critique of a system that is inherently unfair to high-level athletes:

And it is possibly a window into his thinking about his previously unexpected opportunity today.

Jones’ arm is NFL-worthy. His physique is NFL-worthy. His skills need improvement, but no college QB — no matter how successful — walks off campus and into the NFL immediately ready to contribute productively. He will have a better shot at being a good pro QB from being a pro QB than from being an Ohio State QB (regardless of whether he is starting, back-up or navigating a time-share).

The risk isn’t that Jones enters the NFL too early. The real opportunity cost is that he enters it too late. If he aspires to be a pro QB, he should go pro now.

UPDATE: Jones was asked during Tuesday’s press conference about the prospect of playing in the NFL.