BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) — Sophomore tailback Ryan Williams is leaving Virginia Tech with two years of eligibility remaining to make himself available for April’s NFL draft.
Williams says an NFL advisory panel projected him as a first- or second-round draft choice this year, and the possibility of being a first-round draft choice is “something that’s hard to pass up.” He says the NFL will give him an opportunity to help out his family.
He joins teammate Darren Evans, who announced last week he will also leave school early.
Williams struggled with a hamstring injury this season and missed several games after a record-breaking freshman season in which he rushed for a school-record 1,655 yards and 21 touchdowns. This year, his numbers were modest: 110 carries for 477 yards and nine TDs.
