– LSU safety Jamal Adams said Friday morning he was heading to the NFL.
The junior safety had 76 tackles and 7.5 tackles for loss in 2016 and was one of the best defensive backs in the country. It was his second-straight year as a starter after recording 67 tackles in 2015 as a sophomore.
Congrats to Jamal Adams on a great career with The Tigers! Cannot wait to see what he does in the NFL!
— Coach Ed Orgeron (@Coach_EdOrgeron) January 6, 2017
Former LSU coach Les Miles was in attendance at Adams’ press conference Friday morning. And he was saying Les Miles things too.
He's Back!! "I have a rash," ex LSU coach Les Miles said from recently wearing crimson tie. He was at Adams presser pic.twitter.com/hQsWiUF6te
— Glenn Guilbeau (@LSUBeatTweet) January 6, 2017
Adams was recruited by Miles in 2014. The five-star recruit in the class of 2014 is likely going to be a very, very early selection in May’s draft. Shutdown Corner’s Eric Edholm has Adams going No. 3 overall to the Chicago Bears in his latest mock draft.
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– Penn State receiver Chris Godwin is heading to the NFL. The wide receiver tweeted Thursday night that he was turning pro after three seasons at Penn State.
It's been a pleasure. pic.twitter.com/PnH168XdZE
— Chris Godwin (@CGtwelve_) January 6, 2017
Godwin had 59 catches for 982 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2016. His best game came in Penn State’s 52-49 Rose Bowl loss to USC, where he had nine catches for 187 yards and two scores. One of the touchdowns was this juggling 72-yard catch.
Godwin had 69 catches for 1,101 yards and five touchdowns in 2015 and 26 catches for 338 yards and two touchdowns in 2014. He finishes his career fourth in Penn State history in receiving yards (2,404), seventh in receptions (153) and tied for fourth in receiving touchdowns (18).
“Chris has been a leader in our wide receivers’ room and on this team throughout his Penn State career,” Penn State coach James Franklin said. “He is one of the top receivers in Penn State history and has made numerous memorable catches throughout his career. We are thankful for all of Chris’ contributions to Penn State Football and look forward to seeing him excel on the next level.”
– South Florida running back Marlon Mack is joining a stacked draft class of running backs. Mack, who rushed for 1,187 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2016, is South Florida’s all-time leading rusher. He has 3,609 career rushing yards.
“This decision was not easy but after weeks of contemplating I’ve decided to declare for the NFL draft,” Mack said in a school statement. “I would like to thank the University of South Florida for giving me the opportunity to play the game I love. I would also like to thank my coaches and teammates for guiding me and being there for me during my collegiate career. I will always be a Bull.”
– Florida defensive tackle Caleb Brantley is joining cornerbacks Jalen Tabor and Quincy Wilson and linebacker Alex Anzalone in the NFL as early declarations. He said Friday he was leaving for the pros.
He claimed in his letter posted on SEC Country that “nobody” picked Florida to win the Outback Bowl. The Gators were a one-point favorite.
The highlight of my college career ended up being my the last one, winning the Outback Bowl against Iowa. Most guys don’t play hard or sit out bowl games because of the draft, so teams often lose. Nobody picked us to win that game, but we were waiting for our moment. The way we came together, it was real brotherhood and camaraderie. You could feel it. That’s the best group of guys I’ve ever played with.
Brantley, who had 31 tackles and 9.5 tackles for loss in 2016, is the fifth Florida player to declare for the draft, joining cornerback Jalen Tabor, cornerback Quincy Wilson, linebacker Alex Anzalone and offensive tackle David Sharpe.
– After initially saying he would return for his senior season, North Carolina running back Elijah Hood has reconsidered. He announced Friday he is going pro.
“This was a difficult decision, but after gathering more information and talking with my family, I believe it is in my best interest to declare for the NFL draft and pursue my dream of being a professional football player,” said Hood.
“While I’ll miss playing with my teammates in Chapel Hill, I’m excited about my future opportunity. I would like to thank Coach Fedora, the coaching staff and all Carolina fans for understanding how difficult it was to come to this decision. This program is on the rise because of the great people at UNC. I’m going to continue to pursue my degree from UNC and I’m proud to say I will always be a Tar Heel.”
Hood dealt with injuries throughout the year and finished the season with 858 yards and eight touchdowns. As a sophomore in 2015, Hood totaled 1,463 yards and 17 TDs. Overall for his career, Hood gained 2,580 yards on the ground — ninth in UNC history.
– Indiana’s Devine Redding is the latest in a deep running back class to declare for the draft.
I'm excited to announce the next phase in my journey. Thank you all for making it possible. pic.twitter.com/r3i8NGEGLk
— Devine Redding (@D1vine_34) January 6, 2017
Redding passed the 1,000-yard mark in each of the last two seasons (1,012 yards in 2015, 1,122 in 2016) and has proven to be a reliable pass-catcher out of the backfield. This year, the junior caught 27 balls.
Another Indiana player, linebacker Marcus Oliver, has also declared for the draft. He had 96 tackles and 15.5 tackles for loss this season and 112 tackles and 6.5 tackles for loss in 2015.
Hoosiers cornerback Richard Fant announced his will be back in Bloomington in 2017.
– USC offensive lineman Damien Mama is leaving school a year early after starting 29 games in three seasons for the Trojans. Mama started four games as a freshman, 13 times as a sophomore and 13 times this season for the Rose Bowl champions.
– Kansas State linebacker Elijah Lee , an all Big 12 performer, is leaving school for the NFL. He led the Wildcats with 110 tackles this season and 80 tackles last year.
— Elijah Lee™ (@elee_doubleace) January 6, 2017
– Georgia Southern Ukeme Eligwe , who began his career at Florida State, is also off to the NFL. He was granted a sixth year of eligibility, but decided to pursue a pro career instead. Eligwe had 104 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks this season.
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Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
