UPDATE: Wendell Smallwood has confirmed his departure for the NFL in a letter that can be seen in its entirety below.

Dear Mountaineer Nation, After serious consideration and much discussion with my family and coaches, I have decided to declare myself for the 2016 NFL Draft. All my life I’ve dreamed of competing on Sundays and I believe the time is now to pursue that dream. There are no words for what the past three years at West Virginia University have meant to me, not only in my development as a football player but more importantly as a man. I want to thank Coach Holgorsen for always beliving in me, both on and off the field. You have been a great mentor to me and always had my back when others didn’t, and I truly thank you for that. I want to also thank Coach Seider and his family for treating me like a family member. I will never forget everything you have done for me while at West Virginia University. I want to personally thank my teammates for all the memories, and lifelong friendships we created together. I will truly miss all of you. Lastly, I want to thank the Mountaineer Nation for taking a kid from little old Wilmington, Delaware and making me one of your own. I can’t thank you enough for your passion for the game. I fed off of every Saturday and ultimately becoming “Big12 Rusher of 2015.” You truly are the BEST FANS IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL. I look forward to representing West Virginia University in the NFL and again, thank you. Let’s Go Mountaineers, Wendell Smallwood #4



According to a report from ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, West Virginia running back Wendell Smallwood is forgoing his final year of eligibility and will declare for the NFL Draft.

Smallwood, a true junior, led the Big12 in rushing this season, finishing with 1,519 yards, and doing so on only 238 carries (a 6.4 average). If he has played his last game in Morgantown, he finished his career with 2,462 career rushing yards and over 3,000 yards from the line of scrimmage.

Last month, it was revealed that Smallwood, fellow running back Rushel Shell, and cornerback Daryl Worley all submitted their paperwork for the NFL Draft, an effort to see what grade they would receiver. The response was not favorable, per Dana Holgorsen.

"I got bad news for a lot of these guys. They’re not going to get drafted, so stay in school," Holgorsen said at his press conference just before Christmas.

Still, since the bowl game, Worley announced he would be leaving, and now Smallwood has reportedly done the same. Stay tuned to EerSports for more on this news, including analysis.