Jalen Ramsey, a junior cornerback from the Florida State Seminoles, announced that he will quit this final season to declare for the 2016 NFL Draft.
"Today, after having in-depth discussions with my parents, my coaches and others whom I hold dear to my heart, I am announcing my decision to pursue my dream, forgo my senior year of football at Florida State and declare for the 2016 NFL draft," Ramsey said in the statement, as reported by ESPN.
Ramsey settled at cornerback as junior even though he played various positions in the defensive backfield over the three seasons. He was the first Florida State freshman to start at cornerback in 2013 since Deion Sanders in 1985. Ramsey started all 41 games of his collegiate career. He garnered three interceptions, 23 pass breakups and 180 tackles in his three-year career. He also won a 2015 ACC championship in indoor and outdoor long jump as a member of Florida State's track team.
"I'm extremely happy for Jalen and his family," Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher said. "I think it is a very smart decision by him. He will be a tremendous pro. He was an outstanding player and leader for us. I cannot say enough good things about him. I wish him nothing but the best and he will always be a part of the Florida State family."
The births of other defensive stars like Josh Sweat and Derwin James have retracted from Ramsey's statistics, but the defensive back's skill and game impact is still there.
In total, Ramsey led a Florida State defense that was ranked 16th nationally in total yards and sixth in scoring defense during the regular season. There is no other team who had scored more than 24 points against them until the Peach Bowl, according to Tomahawk Nation.
Mock drafts from around the web shows that Ramsey is a consensus top-10 pick, and this is due to his athletic ability and leadership. On Monday, Rotoworld predicted that Ramsey will be drafted sixth overall to the Baltimore Ravens.