For the third time since its 2018 regular season ended, Iowa has prematurely lost a player to the big boy football league.
In late November, standout tight end Noah Fant announced he was leaving the Hawkeyes early for the 2019 NFL Draft; shortly thereafter, teammate and safety Amani Hooker did the same. Late Monday afternoon, defensive end Anthony Nelson followed suit by using Twitter to announce that he too will forego his remaining eligibility and declare for the upcoming draft.
I will always bleed black and gold! Thank you Hawkeye nation for all of your love and support! pic.twitter.com/evFHyl9R7e
— Anthony Nelson (@ANelly98) January 7, 2019
Nelson was second on the Hawkeyes in tackles for loss (13.5), sacks (9.5) and quarterback hits (six) this season. Following the 2018 regular season, the defensive lineman earned second-team All-Big Ten honors from the media.
Unofficially, Nelson is the 106th player to declare early for the 2019 NFL draft, tying the all-time record set just last year.