Earlier Friday, Notre Dame’s Tyler Eifert decided against becoming the first underclassman tight end to leave school early this year. A few hours later, Dwayne Allen displayed no such qualms.
In a release issued by Clemson, Allen announced that he will enter the NFL draft in April and will not return to the school for the 2012 season.
“I want to first thank all of my teammates, my teammates from the 2011 team and teammates from past years,” said Allen in a statement. “Without them this would not be possible. I also want to thank my coaches, Coach Dabo Swinney, my position coach Danny Pearman and offensive coordinator Chad Morris. They have helped me grow as a player and as a person. Finally I want to thank everyone in Tiger Nation for their support over the years. I want to especially thank them for being patient with me.
“I am basically turning professional because I feel I am ready. This is the appropriate time. I have matured as a player and a person over the last four years at Clemson and this experience has prepared me for the next level. I have just 13 hours (of course work) left to graduate and I will be a proud Clemson graduate.”
Allen finished the year with 50 receptions for 598 yards and eight touchdowns. He was a consensus first-team All-America and named the winner of the John Mackey Award following the 2011 season.
The redshirt junior leaves Clemson tied for the school’s career record in receptions (93) and receiving touchdowns (12) at his position.
“Never have I been more proud of a player’s development than Dwayne Allen,” said Swinney. “Clemson has made a huge impact in his life and he has helped Clemson achieve at a level not seen in 20-plus years. Dwayne has a great future, and I fully support his decision to enter the NFL. I look forward to watching him continue his journey. He will be a great ambassador for Clemson for years to come.”