Wisconsin’s Jonathan Taylor announces he’s headed to the NFL

January 4, 2020
|In Badgers
|By MidWest Digital Marketing

After the most productive three years by a running back in FBS history, Jonathan Taylor is headed to the NFL.

The Wisconsin tailback announced on Twitter Friday night that he had declared for the 2020 NFL Draft.

“I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to live out a childhood dream of playing Division I football,” Taylor said. “Now I have the opportunity to live out another childhood dream, which is playing at the highest level of football. With that being said, I’ve decided to declare for the NFL Draft.”

A two-time Doak Walker Award winner (best running back), Taylor finished his career with the Badgers having rushed for 6,174 yards. That’s the most any running back has run for in his first three years of college. It left him No. 6 all-time in total rushing yards in FBS history. Also the only two-time consensus All-American in Wisconsin history, Taylor scored 65 total touchdowns in his career and averaged 6.7 yards per carry.

“I may be leaving Madison, but at heart, I’ll always be a Badger,” Taylor said. “Thank you and On, Wisconsin.”

As a junior, Taylor became the first Wisconsin running back to run for at least 2,000 yards in back-to-back seasons and the only player in school history to finish in the top-10 of the Heisman Trophy voting in three different seasons.

“As impressive as JT’s accomplishments have been on the field, I have been even more impressed by how he has done it,” coach Paul Chryst said in a statement released by the team. “He will rightly be discussed as one of the best running backs in college football history.
 
“But what I will remember most about being around him is how he handled himself and how much he cared about his teammates. He is truly humble, always working to get better and cares a ton about this program. He gave everything he had to maximize his opportunity in college and I wish him all the best as he moves into the NFL.”

Most draft experts have Taylor among the top three running backs in the 2020 class. He figures to be a late first-round or early second-round pick in April.