Potential second- or third-round pick Jeremy Hill is entering the 2014 NFL Draft, he said Monday.
Hill, who rushed for 1,401 yards in 11 games after serving a suspension, surprised many close to the program two days before the underclassmen deadline to enter the 2014 draft. Earlier indications from the team were Hill was planning to play his junior season at LSU.
NFLDraftScout.com’s sixth-ranked running back in the 2016 draft class, Hill is eligible to enter the May draft because he is a redshirt sophomore.
What could have swayed the LSU power back — the program has a commitment from the nation’s top running back, Leonard Fournette from New Orleans St. Augustine High, who is expected to sign a national letter of intent with the Tigers on Feb. 6.
Hill (6-1, 235) had only 203 carries last season and still turned in the second-best season ever by a LSU running back.
By comparison, Alabama’s Eddie Lacy was drafted 61st overall in 2013 and became an Offensive Rookie of the Year candidate as the lead back of the Green Bay Packers after just one season as the primary ballcarrier for the Crimson Tide.