Florida safety Rashad Torrence II declares for 2023 NFL Draft

Florida safety Rashad Torrence II officially declared for the 2023 NFL Draft, he announced on his Twitter page on Thursday evening. The gifted safety was dominant for the Gators during the 2022 campaign, racking up a team-leading 84 tackles during his final season in Gainesville. He started 27 games for Florida during his time there.

Check out his announcement below.

Forever Florida 🧡💙🐊‼️ #DeuceDeuce out pic.twitter.com/l09ufsQ4o6

— Rashad Torrence ll ™ (@boss_athlete) December 30, 2022

Torrence’s announcement reads:

“Gator Nation,

“First and foremost I want to thank my family for their love, support, and sacrifice. I also want to thank the University of Florida for the amazing experience these past three years. The knowledge gained and lessons learned will last a lifetime. To be taught under the tutelage of two great head coaches, Mullen and Napier, I am forever grateful. My coaches, Grantham, English, CrimeDawg, and Toney have prepared me for this moment. Last but definitely not least, thank you to the LOYAL gator fans that have supported me from day 1. Since I was 6 years old my dream has been to play collegiate football and I can’t think of a better place to play than The Swamp.

“With all things considered, my ultimate goal is to play in the NFL on Sundays. After much prayer and guidance, I’ve decided to forego my senior season, trust Gods plan for my life, and enter the 2023 NFL Draft. —Deuce Deuce Rashad Torrence II #22“

More on the 2023 NFL Draft

The 2023 NFL Draft is set to take place from Thursday, April 27 through Saturday, April 29 in Kansas City, Missouri. The event will be held at the plaza just outside of Union Station.

Round 1 of the NFL Draft is set to begin at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, Apr. 27. Rounds 2-3 will begin at 7 p.m. ET on Friday, Apr. 28, and Rounds 4-7 will begin at 12 p.m. ET on Saturday, Apr. 29. The draft will be broadcasted throughout the weekend on both ESPN and NFL Network.

To be eligible for the NFL Draft, players must be at least three years removed from their final year of high school while having used up their collegiate eligibility. Underclassmen are able to request league approval to become eligible for the draft, as are players who have graduated prior to using up all of their collegiate eligibility. 100 underclassmen were approved for last year’s draft. 73 of those 100 underclassmen were granted special eligibility while 27 of them were underclassmen who had completed their college degrees.

The 2023 NFL Scouting Combine will take place from Feb. 28 through March 6 in Indianapolis.