USC receiver Nelson Agholor declares for 2015 NFL Draft

USC junior wide receiver Nelson Agholor is leaving college early and entering the 2015 NFL draft after a standout career with the Trojans.

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Nelson Agholor is foregoing the final year of his eligibility after catching 94 passes for 1,313 yards and 12 touchdowns and is leaving USC for the NFL draft.

“These past three years at USC have been a blessing, along with a lot of my life,” Agholor said in a statement, via ESPN Los Angeles. “I am very grateful to have had the coaches and staff members of this prestigious university in my life. Because of these men and women, I feel prepared to follow my dreams into the NFL. Thank you to the Trojan Family for allowing me to become one of your own.”

Agholor caught 179 passes for 2,572 yards and 20 touchdowns in his three seasons at USC and returned a program-record four punts for touchdowns. His ability to help teams on special teams as a dangerous return man as well as a wide receiver should help his cause for being drafted by the end of the second round.

ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. ranks Agholor as the No. 8 wide receiver for the draft and projects the 6-0, 185-pound receiver to be drafted as high as the second round.

Agholor is unlike former USC receivers like Mike Williams, Dwayne Jarrett or Patrick Turner who were unable to translate their success on the college level to the NFL level because they couldn’t get separation. Those three were all big, lumbering and imposing receivers at 6-5, where Agholor is a fluid and explosive athlete who can get in and out of his breaks and create separation.

He played in the shadow of former Biletnikoff Award winner, Marqise Lee, his first two seasons on campus, but had a stellar season this year as the primary target of breakout quarterback Cody Kessler in 2014.

USC finished 9-4 this year in the first season under head coach Steve Sarkisian that ended with a win in the Holiday Bowl.

“All of us at USC thank Nelson for all he has done here. He had an outstanding career and will always be a Trojan,” USC coach Steve Sarkisian said in a statement. “We wish him the best and look forward to watching him at the next level.”

USC junior wide receiver Nelson Agholor is leaving college early and entering the 2015 NFL draft after a standout career with the Trojans.

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