Today was decision day for a quartet of draft-eligible Alabama football players.
Unfortunately for Tide faithful, three of them won’t be playing in Tuscaloosa in 2011.
In a press conference early Friday afternoon, running back Mark Ingram, defensive lineman Marcell Dareus and wide receiver Julio Jones all announced that they will be leaving early for the April NFL draft. It had been previously reported that Ingram and Dareus would be making the jump, although Jones’ departure was widely expected as well.
“I’m fully endorsing each of these guys in terms of the decisions they’ve made,” Alabama coach Nick Saban said.
The Tide did receive a bit of good news on the attrition front as linebacker Dont’a Hightower announced he will be returning for another season.
Saban added that “we still have guys who are making decisions.” Two of those players are likely wide receiver Marquis Maze and defensive back Mark Barron.