COLUMBUS — Dwayne Haskins is off to the NFL.
The redshirt sophomore Ohio State quarterback announced on Twitter on Monday he will forgo his final two seasons of eligibility and enter the NFL draft.
In one season as the Buckeyes’ starter, Haskins rewrote the OSU and Big Ten record book, completing 70 percent of his passes for 4,831 yards and 50 touchdowns en route to being named a Heisman Trophy finalist.
“Buckeye Nation, I would like to thank you for everything. You have made this experience a blessing,” Haskins wrote. “As a young kid, I had dreams of playing at The Ohio State since the age of 10 years old. God has blessed me with an opportunity to go achieve another dream. The NFL. After many thoughts and prayers with family and close friends, I have decided to declare for the 2019 NFL draft.
“To my coaches, teammates and friends that I’ve made at this prestigious university, THANK YOU! To Buckeye Nation, what an unbelievable experience. I love this university and will support it for the rest of my life.”
They say that dreams come true
— Dwayne Haskins, Jr🌹 (@dh_simba7) January 7, 2019
and when they do, that there's a beautiful thing... Scarlet & Gray Forever #BuckeyeNation #ThankYou pic.twitter.com/ngHQfLq8C7
Haskins is projected as a top-10 pick and the first quarterback selected. He’s the fifth Ohio State player to declare early for the draft, joining Nick Bosa, Dre’Mont Jones, Mike Weber, and Michael Jordan.
The quarterback competition in Columbus now will begin in earnest, with Tate Martell, Justin Fields, and Matthew Baldwin entering the spring as OSU’s top three options. Fields transferred to Ohio State from Georgia last week and is expected to be granted a waiver, which would give him immediate eligibility.
First Published January 7, 2019, 7:57 p.m.
