Texas Tech quarterback Patrick Mahomes II announced Tuesday that he is declaring for the 2017 NFL Draft.
The junior led the nation with 5,052 passing yards and accounted for 52 total touchdowns (41 passing, 11 rushing) for a Red Raiders team that boasted the FBS' top-ranked offense for the second straight year.
"After talking with Coach (Kliff) Kingsburgy and my family, we feel this is the best decision for me moving forward," Mahomes said in a statement.
"Coach Kingsbury believed in me since I was a lightly-recruited quarterback out of Whitehouse, Texas, and I wouldn't be here without him. ... Thank you to the fans, for their continued support, through the good times and the bad. They have made me love this university."
Mahomes ranks third all-time in Red Raiders' history with 11,252 passing yards. He assumed the starting job as a true freshman in 2014 and has accounted for 12,053 total yards and 114 touchdowns.
This past October, Mahomes broke the FBS record for total yards in a game with 819 (734 passing, 85 rushing) on 52 of 88 passing in a 66-59 shootout victory against Oklahoma. He totaled seven touchdowns (five passing).
Texas Tech (5-7) had the worst FBS scoring defense in 2016, allowing 43.5 points per game.
Mahomes is the ninth-ranked quarterback among the projected class of 2018 according to NFLDraftScout.com.
