Jarvis Jones will enter the NFL draft and should be one of the top players taken. (Kevin Liles-US PRESSWIRE)
The top underclassmen must decide soon whether to turn pro, and one of the top pro prospect announced on Friday that he will make the jump.
Georgia linebacker Jarvis Jones announced he will enter the 2013 NFL Draft, giving up his remaining college eligibility.
Jones made his announcement with a statement released through the school.
Jones, a redshirt junior, is ranked by NFLDraftScout.com as the No. 1 linebacker in the draft pool and No. 3 overall. He’s considered a potential top-10 overall pick in April.
A first-team All-SEC performer, Jones broke Georgia’s season sack record with 14.5, finishing the 2012 season with 85 tackles, 24.5 tackles for loss, seven forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and one interception.
The 6-foot-2, 242-pound Jones excelled at Georgia after overcoming a neck injury and a transfer from Southern California. He was a finalist for the Butkus Award as a junior after finishing the 2011 season wtih 70 tackles.
His medical history will be a hot topic over the next few months due to a condition known as spinal stenosis, which could affect him down the road in his career.
—LSU announced that junior safety Eric Reid will forgo his senior season for the 2013 NFL Draft and punter Brad Wing, running back Spencer Ware and cornerback Tharold Simon will join him, according to several reports.
The count is now at six LSU underclassmen who have declared for the NFL Draft.
Reid ranks as NFLDraftScout.com’s No. 1 free safety prospect and mid-to-late first round pick. Simon currently projects as NFLDraftScout.com’s No. 8-ranked junior cornerback. Wing, who was suspended for the Tigers’ bowl game due to a violation of team rules, ranks as NFLDraftScout.com’s No. 1 punter.
After leading the team in rushing in 2011, Ware finished second on the team in carries (91) this season but just fourth in rushing yards (358), averaging 3.9 yards per rush attempt.
—Wisconsin junior center Travis Frederick announced Friday he will enter the 2013 NFL Dtraft, giving up his remaining year of eligibility.
Frederick is ranked as the No. 2 center prospect by NFLDraftScout.com and is projected to be among the top 64 picks.
Frederick is 6-4, 338 pounds, and started 31 games at Wisconsin, playing both center and guard.
—Tulane announced that it received a national letter of intent from quarterback Nick Montana, the son of former NFL great Joe Montana.
The younger Montana will enroll in school in time to participate in spring practice and have two years of eligibility remaining, the school said. The 6-foot-3, 215-pound Montana, who signed out of high school with Washington, passed for 2,652 yards and 22 touchdowns this past season at Mount San Antonio College in Walnut, Calif.
–Tennessee quarterback Tyler Bray has signed with an agent and will enter the NFL draft. Tyler Bray is the seventh-ranked quarterback eligible for the 2013 draft, according to NFLDraftScout.com, and the No. 60-rated prospect overall.
The 6-foot-6 junior threw for 69 touchdowns with 28 interceptions during his college career as a three-year starter for the Vols.
This season, the 21-year-old Bray threw for 3,612 yards with 34 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He completed 59 percent of this passes despite having a corps of smaller receivers.
