TALLAHASSEE — Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston will declare for the 2015 NFL Draft, ESPN’s David Hale reported Wednesday.
That report comes courtesy of Winston’s father Antonor Winston, who told ESPN Tuesday his son would wait until after the College Football Playoff National Championship to announce a decision. That changed Tuesday night, Antonor said, when Jameis came to a “firm decision” (as relayed by Hale) that the redshirt sophomore would forgo his final two seasons of eligibility in Tallahassee.
The 6-foot-4, 230-pound Winston has been widely considered a minimum top-5 pick if he entered the upcoming draft, with the most recent CBSSports.com mock drafts projecting the Tennessee Titans to select him No. 2 overall.
Winston will leave FSU with a 26-1 record as a starter, the 2013 Heisman Trophy and the 2013 BCS championship. The Seminoles’ hopes of a second straight national title were dashed on New Year’s Day with a 59-20 loss to Oregon in the Rose Bowl, Winston’s only defeat in two seasons as the team’s starting quarterback.
A talented baseball prospect drafted out of high school by the Texas Rangers, Winston said in the immediate aftermath of the Rose Bowl that he was “looking forward to next season and playing baseball” in the spring for the Seminoles. But a declaration for the draft is expected to end his baseball career.
Head Coach Jimbo Fisher released the following statement regarding Winston’s decision to Jump to the NFL:
“I would like to wish Jameis nothing but success at the next level as I think he’ll be extremely successful. It was a blessing to be able to coach him. He’s one of the unique players that I’ve ever had the privilege to coach. He embodies what you as a coach want as a person, a student and a player. He’s a genuine and honest guy. He’s one of the greatest players in Florida State history. I want to thank him for the way he represented himself and the organization in so many tough situations and the professionalism in which he handled the ability to be such a great teammate to his teammates and always put them and the program above himself. That’s a very unique ability to be able to do especially at his age. I’d like to thank his family. They’re great people and it was a blessing that they came into our lives. I have nothing but respect for everything Jameis stands for, what he is and what he will do in the future. He’s truly one of the most special guys that I’ve had the privilege to be able to coach and I can’t thank him enough for the contributions to our family at Florida State.”
CBS Sports
