UCLA RB Carson Steele declares for 2024 NFL Draft
UCLA Bruins running back Carson Steele has made a decision on the 2024 NFL Draft. He has officially decided to take his talents to the NFL.
Before spending 2023 with the Bruins, the ball carrier played with Ball State in 2021 and 2022. Over his three seasons of college football, Steele amassed 648 carries for 3,294 yards and 26 touchdowns. Additionally, he caught 58 passes for 486 receiving yards and four touchdowns.
He took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to make his announcement on Wednesday afternoon, thanking everyone who helped in his football journey.
“First of all, I would like to thank the Lord for everything He has ever done for me and everything He has planned for my future,” Steele wrote. “Ever since I was little, I’ve tried to push myself harder and harder every day. The way I’ve done that is by surrounding myself with the people who do the same and love me for who I am.
“To my mother, father and my sister I just want to say thank you guys for always being in my corner, even when things didn’t go my way, you guys are the reason why I’ve been able to have success in my life. To family and friends, I would like to say thank you for mentoring me through the years. Through the ups and downs, all of you have always been there for me. I also want to thank my Center Grove family and all the people who cheered for me through high school and college. You guys will always and forever be with me when I step onto the football field.
“I would like to say thank you to Coach Moore and Coach Timmons, as well as, my strength coordinator, Coach Mills as they guided me through high school to be able to have success at the collegiate level. I want to say thank you to Coach Neu and Coach Hecklinski for helping me develop my craft at Ball State. I would also like to thank Coach Kelly and Coach Foster for giving me the opportunity to play football at such a prestigious school like UCLA.
“With that being said, I’m excited to announce that with God’s plan, I will be forgoing my senior year and entering into the 2024 NFL draft.”
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.