Tennessee RB Jaylen Wright declares for the NFL Draft
After three seasons on Rocky Top, including the last two as the Volunteers’ leading rusher, Jaylen Wright has called it a career based on his announcement on Friday.
In a statement that he shared on social media, Wright said that he’d be leaving Tennessee and entering his name into the 2024 NFL Draft.
“Carrying the VOLS spirit with me, I am pleased to inform you that my family and I have decided that the next phase of my football career will be to declare for the 2024 NFL Draft,” wrote Wright.
Wright ends his collegiate career with 368 carries for almost 2,300 rushing yards and 18 scores in 34 games. That includes the past two seasons where, as the team’s leader on the ground, he had 283 of his carries for nearly 1,900 yards and 14 touchdowns.
In this past season, he flashed more ability in the pass game as well with career-highs in receiving stats of 22 catches for 141 yards.
He also claimed a spot on the All-SEC Second Team this fall for what he did in the Volunteer offense as a junior. That’s after he rushed for 100 or more yards in six games this season.
Wright provided some fantastic moments in Knoxville during his time in Tennessee’s backfield, including a rushing score that blew the ceiling off Neyland Stadium on the first snap of their matchup with Georgia in 2023.
Now, after being a workhorse for them, he is ready to take it to the next level as he sets his sights on the pros for next season.
More on the 2024 NFL Draft
The 2024 NFL Draft will be held in Detroit, Michigan, with the first round on Thursday, April 25, the second and third rounds on Friday, April 26, and the fourth through seventh rounds on Saturday, April 27.
Players will have the opportunity to solidify their draft stock at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine, to be held in Indianapolis, Indiana from February 26 through March 4.
The three-day event will be broadcasted throughout the weekend on 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.
Last season, 69 players were granted special eligibility for the 2023 NFL Draft. 13 underclassmen who had completed their college degrees were also deemed eligible to be selected.
The deadline to declare for the 2024 NFL Draft is on January 15. NFL teams will receive a full list of eligible players in the class on January 19.