Add another name to the growing list of underclassmen opting to declare for the NFL Draft a year early. Florida linebacker Alex Anzalone shared a letter to Florida fans on the team’s website on Wednesday afternoon to thank fans for their support and declare himself eligible for the upcoming NFL Draft this spring.
“The University of Florida has prepared me well to embrace my decision to enter the NFL Draft,” Anzalone said in his letter to fans. “I will forever bleed Orange and Blue.”
Anzalone thanked former Florida head coach Will Muschamp (now head coach at South Carolina), former Florida defensive coordinator DJ Durkin (now head coach at Maryland), and former Florida assistant Geoff Collins (now head coach at Temple) in addition to Florida head coach Jim McElwain and assistants Randy Shannon, and Chris Rumph.
Anzalone suffered a broken arm during a win over Arkansas in early November. Anzalone was eligible to return to Florida again in 2017 as a redshirt senior. Anzalone has battle through injury concerns during his time with Florida, but none of the injuries figure to be too costly to him as far as his draft stock is concerned.