Junior running back Damarea Crockett announced Monday afternoon that he will forgo his senior season at Missouri and enter the 2019 NFL Draft.
Crockett announced the decision via Twitter, thanking former coaches and the Missouri sports medicine department before stating his decision.
Thank you for everything Mizzou it’s all Love!! ?? pic.twitter.com/h96j4si3ok
— Damarea Crockett #16 (@DamareaCrockett) January 7, 2019
“My journey here at Mizzou has been nothing less than amazing from beginning to end,” Crockett tweeted.
Crockett ran for 2,252 yards and 19 touchdowns during his three-year career with the Tigers and set a freshman record with 1,062 yards in his first season.
After the breakout campaign, a shoulder injury caused Crockett to miss seven games his sophomore year, allowing Larry Rountree III to emerge as the Tigers’ primary running back at the end of the season.
Crockett split carries with Rountree his junior year before suffering an ankle injury, which caused him to miss the final two games of the year. He finished the season with 709 yards while Rountree went over 1,000 yards.
Without Crockett, Missouri will turn to Rountree and rising sophomore Tyler Badie for run support next season. Rountree led Missouri with 1,241 yards last season and Badie added 447 yards on the ground. Freshman Simi Bakare got limited carries in his first season and could see an expanded role as Missouri’s third running back next season.
Crockett’s announcement came rather unexpectedly, especially considering he hasn’t been one of the underclassmen Missouri fans are awaiting a potential departure announcement from. Tight end Albert Okwuegbunam, one of the Tigers’ draft-eligible underclassmen, has yet to announce his draft decision. The redshirt sophomore, who also finished the season injured, will have until Jan. 14 to declare for this year’s draft.
_Edited by Adam Cole | acole@themaneater.com_