Ole Miss defensive lineman Breeland Speaks has declared for the NFL Draft, the program announced on Tuesday.
“After discussing it with my family, I have decided to forgo my senior season and enter the 2018 NFL Draft,” Speaks said in a statement. “There are so many people I want to thank including Chancellor Vitter, Mr. Bjork, Coach Luke, the coaching staff, my teammates and everyone at the university for an awesome four years. Most of all, I thank Rebel Nation for the incredible support they gave me from day one. I was proud to Lock The Vaught every Saturday in my home state, and now I look forward to representing Ole Miss at the next level.”
A native of Jackson, Miss., Speaks (9) ranked second on the club with 67 tackles and seven sacks on the year, and third on the team with eight tackles for loss. Those numbers represents massive steps up from his 28 tackles, 1.5 TFLs and one sack as a sophomore in 2016.
He was named a Second Team All-SEC honoree by the Associated Press in 2017.
“I have seen Breeland grow as a person and a player over the last four years, and we’re excited to see him take this next step in his career,” head coach Matt Luke said. “I am particularly proud of the leadership he brought to our team amidst the challenges we faced. He is a true Rebel, and we look forward to watching him continue our program’s rich NFL tradition.”
Speaks redshirted in 2014, so he is leaving the Rebels’ locker room after four seasons on campus.