Brandon LaFell Enters NFL Draft

BATON ROUGE ? LSU wide receiver Brandon LaFell has opted to forgo his senior season and enter the NFL Draft, the junior announced on Thursday.

?I?m declaring for the NFL Draft, but I?m not going to hire an agent which leaves the door open for me to change my mind in the next 72 hours,? LaFell said. ?LSU is a great place. It?s a place that has given me the opportunity to grow both as a person and a player. I?ve been a part of some great teams and had some great teammates and it?s a place that I?m going to miss.?

Per NCAA rules, underclassmen have 72 hours after the early-entry deadline to revoke their declaration provided that they have not signed with an agent. LaFell has until Sunday afternoon to revoke his declaration which would then allow him to return to LSU for his senior season.

LaFell, a first team All-Southeastern Conference selection in 2008, joins defensive tackle Ricky Jean-Francois as LSU?s early entries into the 2009 NFL Draft.

?The choice to come back to school or enter the NFL Draft is a very personal decision,? LSU coach Les Miles said. ?We try to give our players as much information as we can so that they can make the best decision possible. We support the decision that Brandon has made and we will do whatever we can to help him during this transition from college to the NFL.

?Brandon?s contributions to this football team have been very significant and it?s something that we are going to miss.?

In three years with the Tigers, LaFell established himself as one of the top pass catchers in school history. He has 118 career receptions for 1,725 yards and 18 touchdowns.

As a junior in 2008, LaFell put together one of the best seasons for a receiver in school history with 63 receptions for 929 yards and a league-leading eight touchdowns.