Boise State Broncos running back Jay Ajayi will forego his final year of eligibility and enter the 2015 NFL Draft:
Jay Ajayi announced that he will enter the NFL Draft. Thank you and good luck, Jay! pic.twitter.com/vJTIlDU8EC
— Boise State Football (@BroncoSportsFB) December 21, 2014
The junior made the announcement during a press conference on Sunday. Here is the official quote:
Now it is with full excitement to let everyone and all of Bronco nation know that my decision is that I will be forgoing my final year of eligibility and entering the 2015 NFL Draft. After consulting with God, my family, and coaches, and taking into account what I've been able to accomplish this year and in my collegiate career. I truly believe after playing in the Fiesta Bowl on December 31st, and hopefully winning, that I will have accomplished everything that I had set my mind to do when I stepped foot at Boise State.
The announcement shouldn't come as a shocker to Broncos fans; Ajayi has racked up 2,225 all-purpose yards (1,689 rushing) and 29 total touchdowns in his junior campaign, with the Fiesta Bowl still to play. SBNation's Mocking The Draft currently lists Ajayi as the eighth-best running back prospect and the 71st-best prospect overall in the 2015 NFL Draft.
And while you can always make the case that a player should stay a fourth season to further develop and raise stock, things are always a bit different when it comes to the running back position. The current market for running backs in the NFL is poor–it took 54 picks in the 2014 NFL Draft to finally see a running back come off the board–and it doesn't appear to be changing any time soon.
With Ajayi probably looking at a mid-round grade in 2015, it's hard to say how much of a boost an added year of college dominance would give Ajayi's stock, if at all.
Ajayi should be a nifty pickup in the mid-rounds; he's a versatile running back that presents a threat in both the running and passing attack. His biggest problem at the moment is a particularly troublesome fumbling issue (11 fumbles in 37 games), but there should be plenty of teams who feel they could fix it.
Ajayi will leave Boise State with a total of 3,662 rushing yards, 772 receiving yards, and 52 total touchdowns, plus whatever he amasses in the Fiesta Bowl.