Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Dwayne Haskins (7) steps forward to throw a 47-yard pass to Buckeyes wide receiver Binjimen Victor (9) for a touchdown in the fourth quarter against the Penn State Nittany Lions on September 29 at Beaver Stadium in State College, Pennsylvania. Photo by Archie Carpenter/UPI |
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Jan. 7 (UPI) -- Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Dwayne Haskins announced on social media that he will skip his junior season and enter the 2019 NFL Draft.
"Buckeye Nation, I would like to thank you for everything," Haskins wrote on Twitter. "You have made this experience a blessing. 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."
Haskins closed his Buckeyes career with a victory in the Rose Bowl against the Washington Huskies on Jan. 1. He threw for 251 yards on 25-of-37 passing with three touchdowns and no interceptions, and was named Rose Bowl MVP.
"To my coaches, teammates and friends that I've made at this prestigious university, THANK YOU!" Haskins continued on his post. "To Buckeye Nation, what an unbelievable experience. I love this university and will support it for the rest of my life."
The redshirt sophomore leaves for the NFL after one season as the starting quarterback at Ohio State. Haskins replaced current NFL quarterback J.T. Barrett at the beginning of the season after winning a spring battle against former Buckeyes quarterback Joe Burrow, who transferred to LSU.
The 6-foot-3, 220-pound quarterback finished third in Heisman Trophy voting behind Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray. Haskins threw for a nation-best 50 touchdowns and shattered numerous Ohio State and Big Ten passing records this season.
Haskins racked up 5,396 yards (413-of-590 passing) with 54 touchdowns and nine interceptions in his short collegiate career. He is projected to be a first-round pick in the upcoming NFL Draft.
