Jayden de Laura declares for 2024 NFL Draft after withdrawing from Texas State
Jayden de Laura is declaring for the 2024 NFL Draft after withdrawing from Texas State last month, he announced via social media.
de Laura announced his commitment to Texas State on Jan. 15 after transferring in from Arizona. Less than 10 days later, he left the university.
Instead of returning to college, he will prepare for the 2024 NFL Draft which will be held in Detroit from April 25-27.
“You changed my life,” he wrote. “You invited me in and allowed me to be the best I could be for each of you. To my coaches, my teachers, my support team, and most of all, my brothers, the men who I had the honor of leading, playing and winning with – thank you from the very bottom of my heart. You have helped me grow and develop in so many amazing ways. To each of you, I am forever grateful for your belief, your trust and your support. You stood with me in the good times and tough ones. And, I will ALWAYS stand with you and be there for you.
“For 4 years, I proudly represented Arizona Washington St. and the PAC12, earning the opportunity to start in 32 NCAA games. Over that time, I have been able to accomplish so much on the field with and for my teammates. It was a dream come true for me. But, my lifelong dream is to play professional football. After much thought, prayer and encouragement by those closest to me, I have made the decision to officially declare for the 2024 NFL Draft.”
Before he made the decision to leave Texas State, de Laura’s presence also generated a response from the Texas State student body, some of whom organized a protest set for later this week. In May 2023, de Laura and Wisconsin defensive back Kamo’i Latu settled a sexual assault lawsuit stemming from an October 2018 incident while they were in high school.
A woman, who was 16 at the time, alleged de Laura and Latu raped her after the Interscholastic League of Hawaii championship game.
The two players “eventually apologized,” per the complaint, and text messages showed de Laura admitted to assaulting the girl. He and Latu eventually were charged and pled guilty to “sex assault 2” and “neither received any jail time pursuant to their guilty pleas.” Instead, they were to write “letters of apology” to the alleged victim.